The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Season 1 review: Sigourney Weaver steals the show in this family drama of generational trauma

3.5/5

Story: After losing her parents to a mysterious fire, nine-year-old Alice Hart is raised by her grandmother, June, on an Australian flower farm. At the farm, Alice learns that there are secrets within secrets. Years later, an unearthed betrayal forces Alice to face her past.

Review: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a disturbing tale that can at times pull you into its darkness. An adaptation of Holly Ringland's novel of the same name, the Amazon Prime Video limited series stars Sigourney Weaver, Alyla Browne, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Leah Purcell, Frankie Adams, Charlie Vickers, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, and Asher Keddie in lead roles.

The poignant tale of the first season, spread across four episodes, is about nine-year-old Alice Hart, who loses both her parents to a mysterious fire.

She ends up living with her grandmother, whom she did not even know existed, at Thornfield, an Australian flower farm that is a refuge for abused women. At Thornfield, the women communicate via floriography, which is a traditional art form that uses flowers as symbols to convey specific meanings.

Having suffered abuse at the hands of her father and being witness to the abuse that her mother faced as well, the series is a mystery of Alice's life that unfolds gradually, taking its time to reveal all the secrets that lie within other secrets.

The storytelling style in this intergenerational tale of hurt and lies is nonlinear, shuffling between different times in Alice's life and that of her parents.

The pace of the storytelling can feel rather stretched at times and could certainly be crisper. And then, out of nowhere, Alice’s age leap is so sudden that it can leave you with more questions than answers. This feels even more jarring considering how much time is given to showing how she adjusts to life in Thornfield.

One really feels for Alice and the unfortunate incidents that she had to face in her disturbed life. When an older Alice chooses a man who seems dangerously like her own father, it is not only unsettling but also a grim reminder of how hard it is to escape generational trauma.

Verdict: Sigourney Weaver steals the show as a tough matriarch with a steely resolve who will go to any lengths to protect her family. Alyla Browne shines as a young Alice, whose nuanced performance at such a young age comes as a pleasant surprise. You can feel her pain and really connect with her character.

Charlie Vickers as the disturbed Clem, who physically abuses his wife and daughter, is a convincing pick, as is Tilda Cobham-Hervey as the tormented and gentle Agnes, who is Alice's mother.

The series takes viewers across the beautiful Australian landscape, which makes for an ideal setting for the tale.

Readers of the book will not be disappointed with the adaptation, as the makers have done a good job trying to be true to the original tale.

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart shows that a family series drenched in melodrama can still be enjoyable and engaging if only it is executed and shot well. Watch this limited series if family dramas entrenched in secrets and betrayals are your cup of tea.