It’s easy to identify when physical harm has been done─it can be seen and felt by both the observer and the subject. Psychological harm, on the other hand, can be harder to identify, even if you’re the one being harmed. Alice, Darling, directed by Mary Nighy and starring Anna Kendrick, challenges the “sticks and stones” proverb by illuminating the dangers of domestic psychological abuse and the emancipating power of a support network. Following Alice’s vacation away from her long-term boyfriend, the film unfurls her inner turmoil as she questions whether her boyfriend’s true love is actually psychological manipulation.

The emotional complexity of Kendrick’s titular character leaves audiences to grapple with the three-dimensional complexity of her psyche and romantic relationship with her boyfriend Simon. The psychological thriller turns a cottage weekend into a distorting representation of emotional abuse where Alice begins to question the reality in which she lives. Alice, Darling showcases genuine experiences that are often sensationalized in mainstream media as a means of shocking entertainment. Perhaps their subtle and...