The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart
There’s a lot happening within the first half of The Lost Flowers Of Alice Hart: domestic abuse, fire, fairytales, a coma, feminism, family drama and lingering mysteries all play a major role in the Prime Video series. The abundance of ideas planted within the opening episodes means that the show is constantly branching outwards, as each of these plot threads leads to new revelations and conflicts. However, this frontloading of an assortment of themes and subplots can be too much to process at once.
Based on the novel of the same name by Holly Ringland, the story sees the titular youngster (Alyla Browne) become orphaned and left unable to speak after a fire destroys the farmstead she stayed on with her abusive father (Charlie Vickers) and mother (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). While in hospital, Alice’s estranged grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) arrives on the scene and takes Alice to say with her on a wildflower farm, which also serves as a sanctuary for abused women. Once there, Alice begins to learn more about her family’s past.
The more that’s uncovered, the more complicated and tragic the Hart family’s circumstances are revealed to be. And with details like a scar on a farm worker’s hand that perfectly matches one Alice’s dad had, there are still more than enough unanswered questions left in the open to thicken the plot further. More than the promise of more answers, the sunny flower farm is a wonderful place to be thanks to the strong sense of female camaraderie demonstrated by its inhabitants. As the farm’s matriarch, Weaver is a commanding presence onscreen. Despite her steely façade when she first arrives at the hospital, viewers will soon warm to her caring nature after seeing her interactions with Alice and the other women on the farm.
With an opening episode that throws so many plot points at its audience, it can be difficult to keep track of everything that’s going on. Audiences can be forgiven for not noticing that Alice emerges from her coma mute until it’s specifically addressed later simply because the script is juggling a dozen other plot points simultaneously.
There’s plenty to draw viewers into the tragic mystery of the Hart family. However, the weighty plot soon takes its toll and makes getting through this show feel like a chore.
Andrew Murray
The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is released on Prime Video on 4th August 2023.
Watch the trailer for The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart here:
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