Alice, Darling: The film putting coercive control in the spotlight

If Mary Nighy has any doubts about the resonance of her first feature film Alice, Darling, she just needs to look at her social media accounts.

The actor and filmmaker has been inundated with direct messages on Instagram from people who have seen the film and want to share their stories.

According to Nighy, it was ever thus: "Even during the editing, sharing early versions of the film, just seeing how emotional people became. That's actually quite a lot to carry. There's a big responsibility."

In Alice, Darling, Anna Kendrick plays a 30-year-old successful woman trapped in a coercive relationship with Simon, played by British actor Charlie Carrick.

Kendrick has been praised for her portrayal of Alice, a role far removed from those she is best known for in comedies such as Up In the Air or musicals like Pitch Perfect.

Nighy says: "What I didn't know, when I offered her the part, was that it was relevant to her own life."

Kendrick has spoken about her own experiences of being in an emotionally abusive relationship during promotion for the film. It was this personal insight which made her the "exact right person" for Alice, the film's screenwriter, Alanna Francis, explains.