Still Alice

Right now you can watch Still Alice in Australia on Stan, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 3,294 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Julianne Moore anchors it with a performance that rewards close attention. Put it on tonight on Stan and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Still Alice is worth clearing space for. The writing in Still Alice treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested. Julianne Moore and Kate Bosworth lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. Still Alice came out in 2014. What elevates Still Alice is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in Still Alice. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Julianne Moore is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.