Alice, Sweet Alice has been on my radar for a very long time. I’d heard some very positive things about it from some horror fans whose opinions I respect. I don’t know why it took me years and years to get around to watching it. It may be partially because this is another film that I confuse with a different title – Cathy’s Curse, which I didn’t love. Who knows. Whatever the reason, I finally got around to watching it. And if you read on, you’ll find out what I thought about it! Let’s get into it, shall we?
12-year-old Alice ain’t right. She’s petty and jealous and cruel. Especially to her sister Karen. When Karen is murdered on the day of her first communion all signs point to Karen being the culprit. Her divorced mother can’t believe it but the evidence keeps stacking up. So do more bodies. Witnesses even see the killer in Karen’s yellow St. Thomas School raincoat and plastic Halloween mask. It must be Karen, right?
Alice, Sweet Alice is a very decent early slasher. Paula Sheppard plays Alice to the hilt. She rages at the slightest provocation and plays cruel pranks on others but shows her vulnerable side as well. After all, she is just a child. And as the audience, we can forgive the filmmakers for casting an obviously adult (though only 19) actress as a 12-year-old because of the demands of the role. Alphonso DeNoble (from Blood Sucking Freaks) also does an excellent job as the creepy, disgusting landlord. His effeminate, idiosyncratic way of speaking and lecherous looks really make one’s skin crawl! (btw – Brooke Shields plays 9-year-old Karen in her theatrical feature debut) I don’t know for sure if the film was influenced by Italian gialli, but it definitely follows a lot of the same beats but without the nudity and stylish lighting (and close ups of leather gloved hands). The kills are engaging and sufficiently shocking, but the whodunnit mystery is a little thin. (not to brag, but i guessed the killer pretty early on. i don’t think that’s a spoiler because the killer can still be Alice, who denies it vehemently, or someone else) I can see why this one has gained a cult following. Especially for slasher fans.
The Final Cut: Alice, Sweet Alice, is a giallo-like early slasher with some decent kills and a first-rate performance from Paula Sheppard in a complex role.
