If Mary Nighy has any doubts about the success of her debut feature film, Alice, Darling, all she has to do is check her social media accounts.
The actor and director have been besieged with direct messages on Instagram from moviegoers eager to share their experiences.
According to Nighy, this has always been the case: “Even during the editing process, when sharing early draughts of the film, I was struck by how emotional the audience became. That is indeed quite a heavy load. There is a significant obligation.”
Anna Kendrick portrays a 30-year-old successful woman trapped in an abusive relationship with Simon, portrayed by British actor Charlie Carrick, in the film Alice, Darling.
Kendrick has received praise for her portrayal of Alice, a role that is vastly different from those she is best known for in comedies like Up in the Air and musicals like Pitch Perfect.
When I offered her the part, I was unaware that it was relevant to her own life, as Nighy explains.
During film promotion, Kendrick has spoken about her own experiences in emotionally abusive relationships. Alanna Francis, the film’s screenwriter, explains that it was her insight that made her the “exact right person” for Alice.
“It was a productive outlet for me to speak with her and bring some of her experiences to the table,” she says, having been inspired to write the script by her past relationship.
Like television series such as Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters and Channel 4’s I Am Nicola, the film examines an emotionally abusive relationship.
The domestic violence charity Refuge defines this type of abuse as coercive control, “in which a perpetrator uses a pattern of behavior to exert power and control over a partner over time.”
In 2015, coercive control became illegal in England and Wales.
In an early draught of the film, however, Francis was tempted to include a scene depicting Alice being physically abused.
“If I’m being completely sincere, that draught was likely influenced by the fear that people wouldn’t comprehend. When we discussed it, my team said, “No, we can do the subtle version, and everyone was extremely committed to that.”
“Because it is such a recently diagnosed, understood, and discussed form of abuse. There was apprehension as to whether or not it could carry the film,” says Nighy. And I believe it absolutely can.”
Alice’s best friends take her on a trip to intervene, a key scene in the film.
Alice struggles to accept the reality of her relationship by stating, “But he doesn’t hurt me.”
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated that 5.0% of 16-year-old and older adults (6.9% of women and 3.0% of men) experienced domestic violence in the year ending in March 2022. This equates to an estimated 2.4 million adults (1.7 million women and 699,000 men).
Women in abusive relationships are not always aware that their relationship is unhealthy. And abusive partners often isolate a woman from her friends and support network. Where conversations about relationships can often reveal when something is wrong.
“Stories like this may reach audiences in a way that we can’t, and although it’s a work of fiction. Many of the on-screen behaviors will mirror those that women face every day.”
The film has garnered generally favorable to average reviews. Helen O’Hara of Empire gave it four stars, stating, “This is a slow-burning drama, almost a thriller, anchored by a perfect performance from Anna Kendrick and punctuated by a quietly monstrous performance by Matthew Carrick, who plays a man who believes he is completely logical. Mosaku and Horn, who awaken Alice and stand with her against male brutality, remain in consciousness.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw gave it three stars, stating, “There are some edge-of-your-seat moments and very subtle tonal inflections, but the movie spends time on a contrived subplot involving a missing girl, time that could have been better spent developing the major thriller plot.”
During the epidemic, the film was shot in Toronto and rural Canada over the course of twenty days.
According to Nighy, the environment was ideal for filming.
Power dynamics
“Being in a remote area prevented the presence of paparazzi. Thus, the situation was intimate. And I believe that helped build trust between all the actors, myself, and the department leaders as well.”
Kendrick praised the filmmaker for creating a cosy set in a Q podcast interview with Tom Power.
“There were occasions when camera rehearsals devolved into group therapy. “Guys, we are here to film a movie,” said the lovely English rose Mary for the last time.
While the film received a 43% rating from film lovers on Rotten Tomatoes (though there were fewer than 50 confirmed ratings), Nighy believes that audience reaction to the picture since its screening at the Toronto Film Festival last year is evidence that the story has struck a chord.
“I am startled by the number of males who have come forward. “I believe it’s assumed that it’s always women,” she says.
“Everyone should analyze the power dynamics they deploy in their relationships, regardless of whether they are straight, heterosexual, or male-female.
“The film is intended to unnerve viewers a bit. And pose questions.”
