We discuss the ending of the 2022 film Alice, Darling, which will contain significant spoilers and plot points.
The intense psychological drama Alice, Darling, starring Anna Kendrick and Charlie Carrick, follows the troubled relationship between Simon and Alice and Alice’s journey to rediscovering herself and becoming aware of the abuse she is undergoing.
After spending time with her closest friends at a remote birthday celebration, Alice starts to see what has been happening to her due to the nature of her relationship with Simon, but what exactly does happen to the couple?
There is also that subplot that involves the disappearance of Andrea Evans. What was that all about? Here is our interpretation and explanation of the oddly divisive ending to Alice, Darling.
Alice, Darling Ending Explained
By the end of Alice, Darling, we have a relatively clear perspective on the toxic relationship between Alice and Simon. The narcissistic Simon has been manipulating Alice and making sure that he is in control of everything she does.
Alice has received some tough love from her closest friends, who manage to get her to open up and talk about what is really happening in her relationship. After taking part in a search for the missing girl Andrea Evans, it seems that Alice’s story and Andrea’s disappearance are running parallel. Eventually, Alice stops making contact with Simon, and this loss of control of Alice forces Simon to drive to find her and her friends, leading to the film’s conclusion.
What happens when Simon arrives?
When Simon arrives, Alice seems to fall back under his spell, but when she decides to leave with him, her friends Sophie and Tess take exception, feeling that Alice is being once again psychologically manipulated by him. Sophie smashes the rear windscreen of the car the couple is in, and this action seems to make Alice suddenly come back to her senses.
She ignores Simon as he tries to make her leave again. Eventually, he admits defeat and throws Alice’s luggage out of the car, leaving in a mild rage over the events.
Why is Alice in the water?
The final scene shows Alice entering the water, a scene that seems to bookend the film, as we see a similar shot at the start. However, in the end scene, we see her breaking upwards through the surface. It seems to be metaphorically showing us that Alice has finally escaped from the prison that Simon held her in.
Alice was drowning in the same way while with Simon, but the intervention of her friends seems to have given Alice the strength to break free from “the water” and be able to breathe again, showing us that Alice is now back in control of her own life, not underwater, or hidden, alone and without voice.
What happened to Andrea Evans Alice, Darling?
Andrea Evans, the girl that has gone missing, is the subplot in the film and seems to mirror Alice, who also lost herself due to her relationship with Simon.
Alice is even seen taking part in a search for Andrea, but perhaps she is really looking for herself, who she believes has also been lost.
The subplot also shows us the relevance it has to Simon. He once again disrupts the narrative and shows the group a newspaper that reveals that Andrea is dead and they have found her body. This is representative of Simon interfering and taking control of a situation as if he wants to be the center of attention. Alice wants to find Andrea, but Simon cements the fact that she never will, leaving Alice even more despondent.
The audience is never given any real solution or back story for Andrea, and we never find out what really happened to her.
What did you think of the ending of the 2023 film Alice, Darling? Comment below.
