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Directed by Alfred Sole
Alice, Sweet Alice
An atmospheric, gritty horror.
Horror
Mystery
Crime
Drama
Thriller
1976
1h 48m
Alice is a withdrawn 12-year-old who lives with her mother and her younger sister, Karen, who gets most of the attention from her mother, leaving Alice out of the spotlight. When Karen is found brutally murdered in a church, suspicions start to turn toward Alice. But could a 12-year-old girl really be capable of such savagery?
Where to watch
Alice, Sweet Alice is showing in 1 cinema in Athens - next screening Tuesday 13 October at 22:00 at Cine Oasis.
Next screenings: Tuesday 13 October.
Full scheduleTuesday, 13 October
Alice, Sweet Alice showtimes, refreshed every morning
Pick your cinema, get a nudge before it leaves screens.
Cast & crew
6What people say
Giallo and Slasher went out for drinks, had sex and 9 months later Alice was born.
Yellow raincoats and blush-pink pussy-bow blouses. I know that’s not really the point, but I got such outfit envy watching this. Say what you want about the seventies, but they really did have the best fashion game of all the decades. Although, and I’m sorry to any Catholics reading this, but I’m not including the bridal-ish confirmation dresses for young girls in the sweeping outfit excitement. Because I didn’t get it. Are they meant to be marrying Jesus? As you can tell, I’m clearly not a religious expert, and so much of this film really draws from the pomp and ceremony and community of Catholic life, with its themes of pressure-cooker guilt, repression and suspicion. I imagine its very effective to someone who understands the meaning behind all of it, but to me it felt like watching someone else’s childhood issues; interesting, occasionally mystifying, occasionally creepy, but not something that burrowed into my brain for me to really feel.My ignorance aside, there was still a lot here to enjoy. There’s the giallo feel of it, with its masked and hooded killer stabbing all and sundry. The possibility of a murderous child, played with an excellent dead-eyed ambiguity by Paula Sheppard. The voyeuristic camera angles. The bleak tone. The atmosphere of cramped and slightly-dingy New Jersey apartments, dim churches and very brown hallways. And, of course, cameos some very cute kittens (I’m ignoring the part where something bad happens to one - it’s not really shown, so I can pretend it didn’t happen).It’s a cool proto slasher with a strong aesthetic, a great sense of place, fantastic coats and a mystery that’s interesting. And then there’s a whole lot of religious dread that I can intellectually admire without personally connecting to; which just means some of you may get more out of it than me.
Common questions
What is Alice, Sweet Alice about?+
A withdrawn preteen girl becomes the chief suspect in a series of violent attacks and murders surrounding her family and church community in 1960s New Jersey.
Who directed Alice, Sweet Alice?+
Alfred Sole directed the 1976 American psychological horror film, which is celebrated as a unique proto-slasher blending giallo elements with Catholic guilt.
Where can I watch Alice, Sweet Alice?+
Full schedule on Mood.
