Verbal Abuse in Movies Has Value to Viewers

The 2022 psychological thriller Alice, Darling, a movie showing emotional and verbal abuse, is another true-to-life scenario familiar to many individuals, unfortunately. This movie depicts a woman involved with an emotionally and verbally abusive partner, but she continuously explains his habits away as normal occurrences. The storyline displays how the verbal abuse dynamic can change an individual's personality and how they navigate everyday life.

I watched Alice, Darling this past week because I saw some positive reviews about it and was familiar with some of the actors. As the movie played, some situations resonated with me, such as the obsessive hair-pulling and the deep anxiety that hung over Alice. 

Are Movies About Verbal Abuse Entertainment? 

Some may argue that movies depicting verbal abuse are not entertainment. However, the definition of entertainment can vary from person to person. Of course, not everyone will have the same sense of humor or like the same things. 

Do I enjoy watching movies that display abuse? No, I don't, not for entertainment purposes. However, some reasons that I take time to watch movies like Alice, Darling include: 

• Some are documentaries with interesting facts and history.
• I want to see if their rendition of verbal abuse is accurate. 
• They give me something to discuss with friends and family.
• I like to explore all elements of relationships, including the negative and positive.
• I hope to learn more to protect myself, my family, and my friends from verbal abuse.

How Including Verbal Abuse In Movies Can Help

Although many individuals would rather not watch movies that include abuse, these cinematic moments have benefits. Instead of entertaining an audience, they can provide critical information that can help someone. Allowing movies and television shows to show the effects of verbal abuse is a step toward generating awareness, getting help, and healing.

For example, when individuals face verbal abuse and see a similar situation on-screen, it brings the subject to light. If you are in denial about the abuse in your home, seeing a familiar circumstance happening in the movies can make you reassess your choices. 

Sometimes you have no idea how people live with their partner behind closed doors. Creating movies that include taboo subjects, like verbal abuse, can lead to critical conversations that need to happen.