Alice (2022)

Alice has the kind of premise that grabs you by the collar, but it’s Keke Palmer who makes it unforgettable—her performance is all nerve, intelligence, and raw survival, turning the film into something more than a thriller hook. Krystin Ver Linden directs with a simmering, uneasy patience, letting dread build in quiet moments before the story snaps into a sharper, more confrontational groove. The vibe is tense and intimate rather than splashy, a character-driven reckoning that’s as much about awakening as it is about escape. It may frustrate viewers who want every big idea fully unpacked, but if you’re drawn to intense performances and a gripping, morally charged ride, this one earns your attention.

Alice is clearly aiming for a punchy, righteous thriller: take a jaw-dropping premise, collide it with 1970s grit, and let Keke Palmer drive a cathartic fight-back story. The problem is the execution doesn’t consistently match the setup—once the twist lands, the writing can feel rushed and overly simple, with uneven pacing that blunts the tension and makes some big ideas land more like bullet points than lived-in reality. If you’re hoping for a tightly plotted genre ride or a nuanced exploration of race and history, this may leave you frustrated and feeling like it didn’t go far enough. Still, Palmer brings real fire and presence, and there are moments of satisfying attitude that might work for you if you’re mainly in it for the concept and her performance rather than a fully polished film.