Alice & Jack

Real love is full of volatility, heartbreak, and perseverance. The story of Alice & Jack focuses on these realities, and explores the depths of a relationship across 16 years. Andrea Riseborough (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, TIFF ’21) plays Alice, a young, single woman living in London, who is heavily invested in her career and dealing with the long-term effects of a childhood trauma. Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn, TIFF ’15; Mother!, TIFF ’17) plays Jack, a lonely yet charming biochemist. They meet in a bar and, to Jack’s surprise, spend the night together.

In someone else’s love story, this night of passion might have led to a blossoming romance. Not here. Alice pushes Jack away and leaves him emotionally crushed. After Jack finally gives up, tired of his feelings being unrequited, he meets Lynn (Aisling Bea, Living With Yourself), a pleasant, suitable match. Together, Jack and Lynn start a family, and welcome a daughter to the world. All seems to be back on steady ground, until the death of Alice’s mother causes her to reconnect with Jack, believing he’s the only person at the funeral who can help manage her grief. What follows is a string of consequences neither Jack nor Alice could have anticipated.

Created and written by Victor Levin (Mad About You), and directed by Juho Kuosmanen (Cannes 2021 Grand Prix Winner Compartment No. 6), this series is an authentic look at a relationship, blemishes and all.

GEOFF MACNAUGHTON

Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Content advisory: coarse language; sexually suggestive scenes