From Sundance: ‘Alice’ Lacks Depth But Showcases Keke Palmer’s Range

Written and directed by Krystin ver Linden, the slave drama “Alice” plays out like a narrative reversal of Octavia Butler’s classic 1979 novel “Kindred.” While Butler’s book tells the story of a 20th century woman who time travels to a plantation in the Antebellum south, “Alice” poses the question: What if the opposite were to occur, and a woman is not stripped of her freedom but gains it instead? In ver Linden’s directorial debut, Keke Palmer stars as the titular Alice, who is bewildered to find herself in 1970s Georgia after escaping from slavery. Though the film fumbles in its attempt to deliver an impactful message on the ongoing fight for liberation, its compelling premise makes for an engrossing story only strengthened by Palmer’s commanding performance.

A significant portion of “Alice” takes place on what viewers believe to be a nineteenth century plantation. Along with her husband Joseph (Gaius Charles) and other enslaved people, Alice lives in a threadbare cabin, works tirelessly in the fields, and suffers abuse from her captor, the violent and cruel Paul (Jonny Lee Miller). Given these circumstances, it comes as a shock when, after an altercation with Paul, Alice runs through the woods and suddenly finds herself stumbling upon a highway. Stunned by the unfamiliarity of the landscape, she is nearly hit by several cars and faints in the middle of the road. This is when she meets Frank (Common), a Black activist and passerby who takes it upon himself to help her.

What makes “Alice” intriguing is that it is not actually a story of time travel, contrary to what audiences might initially assume. Alice soon learns that she and other Black people were kept as slaves deep in the woods while all along it was the year 1973, and unbeknownst to them slavery had been abolished for over a century. It’s a premise with exciting potential, and at first the transition from the nineteenth century-style plantation to the modernity of 1970s urban Georgia evokes a thrilling dissonance. The film almost doubles as a nostalgia piece as Alice learns about the culture and technology of the ‘70s: Frank plays Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” for her on his record player, and they go to see Pam Grier’s Blaxploitation film “Coffy” in theaters. The subgenre was popular in the ‘70s for its empowered Black leads that were simultaneously reliant on damaging stereotypes of Blackness, with their protagonists often engaging in crime and violence. Like many Black moviegoers in that decade, Alice is inspired by Coffy’s confidence and autonomy.

While these scenes showcasing the pop culture of the era provide some surface-level excitement, the script loses its ingenuity soon after Alice joins urban society. While Frank is at work one day, Alice spends hours poring over books — Paul had taught her to read so she could entertain him — learning about the decades of history that were hidden from her. A montage sequence featuring radicals like Malcolm X and Fred Hampton is shown, but not much more is done to draw parallels between nineteenth century oppression and the racism that persisted into the 1970s. Alice keeps marveling that she and other Black people are free, but her revelation ultimately feels like an oversimplification of race relations in the ‘70s, which remained a far cry from egalitarianism. The civil rights movement is certainly alluded to, but instances of modern-day inequalities aren’t shown or discussed with the depth they deserve. Although the premise of “Alice” offers a welcome opportunity to make incisive commentary on the centuries-long fight for Black liberation, the film ultimately falls short of this potential.

Furthermore, Alice’s character development isn’t very steady or realistic upon her realization that she should have been free her entire life. In the span of just a couple of days, she transitions from a perpetually disoriented state, in which she depended on Frank to explain modern technology to her, to the unflinching confidence and determination of the lead in a Blaxploitation movie. Moreover, once Alice decides she wants to free her fellow slaves who are still sequestered in the woods, the film hits predictable and relatively cheap story beats: She has a makeover where she comes out resembling Pam Grier, and she and Frank hit the library to plan out their mission. It’s satisfying to see Alice grow more empowered as the story progresses, but the story feels tonally incoherent as it attempts to pay homage to Blaxploitation films while still trying to ground itself in a sense of seriousness.

These flaws in character and story development, however, are no fault of Palmer’s. In a significant departure from her usually more comedic roles, she captivates as Alice. While her character arc feels rushed, Palmer still moves seamlessly through the multiplicity of emotions Alice feels in her journey from bondange to freedom. When living on the plantation under the constant threat of Paul’s cruelty, she trembles with a tangible fear; when watching TV for the first time, asking “Are those small people?”, she emotes an endearing sense of wonder. When she decides to save her loved ones from bondage, Palmer’s face sets with an immovable resolve. While the script falls short in many ways — believability, character development, and pacing, to name a notable few — Palmer grounds the story with her impressive emotional range. Ultimately, “Alice” is not a particularly groundbreaking or insightful film. However, it does offer an empowering, if surface-level, story that leaves audiences wondering what else Palmer is capable of.

—Arts Chair Jaden S. Thompson can be reached at jaden.thompson@thecrimson.com.