In the 2022 psychological thriller Alice, Darling , Anna Kendrick delivers a career-best, raw performance as a woman navigating the invisible chains of a psychologically abusive relationship . Directed by Mary Nighy in her feature debut, the film shifts away from typical cinematic tropes of physical violence, focusing instead on the subtle, insidious nature of "coercive control" and emotional gaslighting. The story follows Alice during a lakeside vacation with two close friends, played by Wunmi Mosaku and Kaniehtiio Horn, where she begins to reclaim her sense of self after years of manipulation by her boyfriend, Simon. The Subtle Horror of Mental Abuse
** Trichotillomania**: Kendrick’s character is shown compulsively pulling out her hair (trichotillomania) when stressed, a visceral representation of her internal anxiety and the toll of Simon's control. Alice Darling (2022)
Daniel Bayer's review published on Letterboxd: Anna Kendrick is better than she's ever been as a woman in an abusive relationship, Letterboxd In the 2022 psychological thriller Alice, Darling ,