Saw this back at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
"Alice" is about a slave in the antebellum South escapes her secluded plantation only to discover a shocking reality that lies beyond the tree line. Directed by Krystin Ver Linden and stars Keke Palmer, Common and Jonny Lee Miller. Out of all the films I have seen at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, this was one of the worst ones I have seen. Linden is very clear on trying to create a political movie about the issues of slavery in a cense of the modern world or racism in the modern time but it's absolute ludicrous writing, poor production that feels like they got the costumes from a Walmart shop, poor pacing, bland camerawork, and really bad acting from really good stars makes the movie far apart very quickly.
The use of Based on True Events has been overdone in many bad horror movies and it's obviously not true. It's just used as a gimmick honestly. The topic of racism and trafficking does exist still in this modern world and I believe Linden had good intentions on making this movie. Based on the Q&A, she seems to be genuine about this movie but it really is half baked with many cliches, terrible writing, and uninteresting characters that you aren't rooting for. Common and Keke Palmer are pretty good stars but here they are not good. Their performances feel really sloopy and Common's dialogue is so bad like he just mumbles his words like he is high or something throughout this movie. It's a shame because Common has been in some good films like John Wick 2, Selma, Megan Leavey, and Girls Trip. I honestly don't know if it was the bad direction or just Common being not as invested in this story. Could be both.
The story is a water down version of the movie "Antebellum". Although Antebellum wasn't good either, that movie still had some creative moments and the tone of the movie is more fitting than "Alice". Alice seems lost on whether it wants to be. It tries to be an horror, political, action, and cheesy kind of movie at the end of the day with very little substance to give. This movie is loosely based on the life and case of Mae Louise Miller and if this is what the movie is trying to go for, I honestly think it's pretty insulting. Miller shouldn't be associated with this movie.
At the end, Palmer and Common are talented but this movie is bad.
Rating: F.
"Alice" is about a slave in the antebellum South escapes her secluded plantation only to discover a shocking reality that lies beyond the tree line. Directed by Krystin Ver Linden and stars Keke Palmer, Common and Jonny Lee Miller. Out of all the films I have seen at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, this was one of the worst ones I have seen. Linden is very clear on trying to create a political movie about the issues of slavery in a cense of the modern world or racism in the modern time but it's absolute ludicrous writing, poor production that feels like they got the costumes from a Walmart shop, poor pacing, bland camerawork, and really bad acting from really good stars makes the movie far apart very quickly.
The use of Based on True Events has been overdone in many bad horror movies and it's obviously not true. It's just used as a gimmick honestly. The topic of racism and trafficking does exist still in this modern world and I believe Linden had good intentions on making this movie. Based on the Q&A, she seems to be genuine about this movie but it really is half baked with many cliches, terrible writing, and uninteresting characters that you aren't rooting for. Common and Keke Palmer are pretty good stars but here they are not good. Their performances feel really sloopy and Common's dialogue is so bad like he just mumbles his words like he is high or something throughout this movie. It's a shame because Common has been in some good films like John Wick 2, Selma, Megan Leavey, and Girls Trip. I honestly don't know if it was the bad direction or just Common being not as invested in this story. Could be both.
The story is a water down version of the movie "Antebellum". Although Antebellum wasn't good either, that movie still had some creative moments and the tone of the movie is more fitting than "Alice". Alice seems lost on whether it wants to be. It tries to be an horror, political, action, and cheesy kind of movie at the end of the day with very little substance to give. This movie is loosely based on the life and case of Mae Louise Miller and if this is what the movie is trying to go for, I honestly think it's pretty insulting. Miller shouldn't be associated with this movie.
At the end, Palmer and Common are talented but this movie is bad.
Rating: F.