“Alice-Heart” is a low-key black-and-white dramedy that perfectly captures the messiness of growing up, making mistakes, and figuring things out (or at least pretending to). Writer-director Mike Macera’s feature debut takes a simple premise about an aimless college dropout struggling to find her footing and turns it into something surprisingly heartfelt and relatable.
Alice-Heart (Lissa Carandang-Sweeney) is on the verge of graduating college when she suddenly decides to drop out, much to the disappointment of her strict Filipino mother and overachieving, self-absorbed boyfriend Lyman (Adam McAlonie). Cut off financially and forced to navigate adulthood on her own for the first time, she leans on her laid-back neighbor Tony (Tony McCall), a freelance photographer who offers her support, encouragement, and a much-needed reality check.
What makes the story work so well is how it approaches its main character. Alice is impulsive, occasionally selfish, and not always the most responsible person (in other words, she is all of us at some point in our lives), but the film never paints her as unlikable. Instead, it allows her to be flawed and human, making mistakes but learning along the way. The writing balances humor with sincerity, making her struggles feel both entertaining and real.
Carandang-Sweeney brings the titular character to life with a performance that’s natural, funny, and subtly expressive. Whether she’s scheming her way through rent problems or having an existential crisis over a peanut butter sandwich, she’s endlessly watchable.
While the film’s pacing is relaxed, it never drags. Macera’s decision to shoot in black and white gives the project a timeless, almost nostalgic feel. The dialogue is sharp, with humor coming from the awkward, painfully relatable moments of young adulthood rather than over-the-top antics.
As thoughtful as it is charming, “Alice-Heart” is a refreshingly honest take on what it means to be lost in your early 20s. It’s funny, a little messy, and full of heart from beginning to end.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 