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Losing Alice
Losing Alice
Losing Alice
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Losing Alice
Promotional poster
GenrePsychological thriller
Created bySigal Avin
Screenplay bySigal Avin
Directed bySigal Avin
Starring
Country of originIsrael
Original languageHebrew
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
  • Sigal Avin
  • Guy Levi
  • Tamar Mozes-Borovitz
  • Nadiv Palti
  • Jonathan Paran
Producers
  • Keren Noyman
  • Idit Paran
  • Rachel Paran
CinematographyRotem Yaron
EditorYael Hersonski
Production companyDori Media Group
Original release
NetworkHot 3
ReleaseJune 18 (2020-06-18) –
August 6, 2020 (2020-08-06)

Losing Alice is an Israeli psychological thriller television series created, written, and directed by Sigal Avin for the Israeli channel Hot 3. The series follows a 48-year-old film director, Alice, whose career has slowed down while raising her three daughters, until she meets a young screenwriter, Sophie, with whom she quickly becomes obsessed.[1] The series premiered in Israel on June 18, 2020 on Hot 3.[2] It premiered internationally on January 22, 2021 on Apple TV+.[3]

Plot

[edit]

The series follows Alice Ginor (Ayelet Zurer), a 48-year-old esteemed filmmaker who feels stuck professionally, old externally, no longer relevant and tired in the face of the endless energy of her three daughters, whom she raises together with David (Gal Toren), a successful and coveted actor. One day, in a chance meeting on the train, Alice meets Sophie (Lihi Kornowski), a promising young femme fatale screenwriter in her 20s, who introduces herself as a fan of Alice and dreams that Alice will direct the script she wrote. Sophie's talent, youth and erupting sexuality arouse Alice, who develops an obsession with her and puts her into her professional, family and sexual life. In what appears to be a conscious choice, Alice is drawn into Sophie's dark and destructive world, and as the plot progresses and twists it is no longer clear who has penetrated whose life, who takes and who gives, and who will lead whom to the fatal end.

Cast

[edit]
  • Ayelet Zurer as Alice
  • Lihi Kornowski as Sophie
  • Gal Toren as David
  • Shai Avivi as Ami
  • Chelli Goldenberg as Tami
  • Nova Doval as Keren
  • Yossi Marshek as Tamir

Episodes

[edit]
No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"The Encounter"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJune 18, 2020 (2020-06-18)
2"The Visit"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJune 25, 2020 (2020-06-25)
3"The Bond"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJuly 2, 2020 (2020-07-02)
4"The Obsession"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJuly 9, 2020 (2020-07-09)
5"The Paranoia"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJuly 16, 2020 (2020-07-16)
6"The Bad Reader"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJuly 23, 2020 (2020-07-23)
7"The Scene"Sigal AvinSigal AvinJuly 30, 2020 (2020-07-30)
8"The End"Sigal AvinSigal AvinAugust 6, 2020 (2020-08-06)

Production

[edit]

Originally airing on Hot 3 in Israel, Apple announced in June 2020, that it had partnered with Dori Media productions and Hot to co-produce and exclusively stream Losing Alice internationally on Apple TV+.[4]

Reception

[edit]

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Losing Alice holds an approval rating of 78% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Twisty and thrilling, if a tad long, Losing Alice is an engaging psychological drama with style to spare."[5] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, it has a score of 75 out of 100 based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[6]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Losing Alice

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Losing Alice is an Israeli psychological thriller television miniseries created, written, and directed by Sigal Avin. The eight-episode series, originally produced for the Israeli channel Hot 3 and later acquired by Apple TV+, originally premiered in Israel on June 18, 2020, and internationally on Apple TV+ on January 22, 2021. It centers on Alice Simon (Ayelet Zurer), a 48-year-old who feels creatively stifled after prioritizing family life, and her chance encounter on a train with the ambitious young screenwriter Sophie (Lihi Kornowski), which spirals into an obsessive, manipulative relationship blending reality and fiction. Through a aesthetic, the narrative delves into themes of female ambition, , aging, and erotic desire, often drawing comparisons to thrillers for its tense psychological dynamics. Supporting cast includes Shai Avivi as Alice's husband and Gal Toren in a key role, with the series filmed primarily in Hebrew and featuring a that heightens its atmospheric tension. Critically, Losing Alice earned a 78% approval rating on from 23 reviews, praised for its stylish direction and strong performances, though some noted its pacing as occasionally drawn out. The series marked a significant international breakthrough for Israeli television on a global streaming platform, highlighting female-driven stories in a genre typically dominated by male perspectives.

Overview and Premise

Series Premise

Losing Alice centers on Alice Ginor, a 48-year-old Israeli film director whose once-promising career has stagnated after she prioritized raising her three daughters. An established figure in the Israeli film industry, Alice put her professional ambitions on hold for family life, leaving her feeling creatively unfulfilled and overshadowed. The series' core conflict ignites during a fateful train ride where Alice encounters Sophie, a driven 24-year-old whose talent and youth captivate her. This chance meeting evolves into an obsessive fascination, culminating in a Faustian bargain: Alice agrees to direct Sophie's autobiographical screenplay, Room 209, which delves into the younger woman's enigmatic past. The arrangement promises to revive Alice's career but introduces profound personal and professional risks. At its heart, Losing Alice explores the tensions between reignited professional ambition and entrenched personal commitments within the competitive Israeli , as Alice navigates the blurred lines between inspiration and obsession. Blending elements of , the narrative examines the seductive pull of creative renewal against the backdrop of midlife reevaluation.

Genre and Style

Losing Alice is classified as an eight-episode mini-series originally produced in Hebrew for Israeli television by Hot 3 before its international release on Apple TV+. The series draws stylistic influences from the , presenting female characters and their desires through a woman's perspective rather than the traditional male viewpoint common in thrillers. It incorporates elements, such as moral ambiguity and seductive tension, adapted to a contemporary Israeli setting that emphasizes cultural nuances of family and ambition. The narrative prioritizes internal psychological tension and emotional introspection over physical action, creating a cerebral atmosphere that builds through character dynamics. Visually and narratively, Losing Alice employs non-linear storytelling, utilizing flashbacks and flash-forwards in several episodes to blur the lines between , fantasy, and processes. This technique heightens the sense of obsession and intimacy by interweaving timelines that reflect the protagonist's unraveling psyche. The series is directed entirely by its creator, Sigal Avin, whose intimate —featuring tight framing and subtle lighting—conveys the escalating emotional bonds and conflicts among the female leads.

Plot and Episodes

Overall Plot

"Losing Alice" centers on Alice Ginor, a 48-year-old whose once-promising career has stagnated after years devoted to raising her three daughters and managing her marriage to actor David. While commuting by train, Alice encounters , a charismatic 24-year-old who pitches her provocative script "Room 209," a story of forbidden reunion, seduction, and betrayal between a middle-aged man and a young woman. Captivated by Sophie's talent and vulnerability, Alice's professional admiration quickly spirals into a profound obsession, prompting her to take on the project as director despite vehement opposition from her longtime , Ami, who views it as a risky departure from Alice's commercial work. As pre-production advances, Alice casts David in the male lead to revive his fading career, intertwining her personal and professional spheres in dangerous ways. The collaboration with fosters an intense emotional bond that evolves into a passionate sexual , eroding Alice's ethical boundaries and igniting within her . 's subtle manipulations become evident as she draws Alice deeper into the script's dark themes, which parallel Sophie's own troubled past—including the unexplained death of her Nomy, from whose life experiences Sophie plagiarized elements of "Room 209." This revelation fuels Alice's growing , manifesting in vivid dreams and hallucinations that blur the boundaries between the film's and her reality, leading to an acute where she questions her role as mentor, lover, and artist. In a pivotal act of , Alice circumvents Ami's authority by securing clandestine funding, committing fully to the production at the cost of her professional integrity. The filming of "Room 209" escalates these tensions, with on-set dynamics mirroring the script's incestuous and destructive undertones, straining Alice's family life as David's involvement exposes marital fractures and her daughters sense the upheaval. Sophie's influence intensifies Alice's psychological descent, culminating in moments of unchecked vulnerability during intimate scenes that expose raw power imbalances in their relationship. As the shoot nears completion, Alice confronts the full extent of Sophie's deceptions, including how the script weaponizes personal trauma to ensnare her, triggering a shattering emotional breakdown that intertwines and truth. The series resolves with the premiere of "Room 209," a film that ends in graphic bloodshed symbolizing inevitable ruin, paralleling the devastation in Alice's life. Her marriage to collapses amid revelations of , her of Ami results in professional , and her family withdraws, leaving her isolated and haunted by self-inflicted losses. Through this arc, the narrative underscores themes of power imbalances in creative mentorships and the self-destructive undercurrents of female ambition, as Alice emerges forever altered, adrift on a train in a final, ambiguous scene evoking her initial encounter with .

Episode List and Summaries

Losing Alice is a single-season miniseries consisting of eight episodes, all written and directed by Sigal Avin. The episodes originally aired weekly on Israel's Hot 3 channel starting June 18, 2020, with each running approximately 45-50 minutes.

Episode 1: "The Encounter" (June 18, 2020)

Fading Alice meets ambitious young Sophie on a train, an encounter that profoundly impacts their lives.

Episode 2: "The Visit" (June 25, 2020)

approaches Alice to direct her after its previous director vanishes, with Alice's husband David cast as the lead, adding personal complications.

Episode 3: "The Bond" (July 2, 2020)

As production begins, Alice fights to assert her vision against an all-male crew and navigates creative differences with .

Episode 4: "The Obsession" (July 9, 2020)

Alice discovers an ideal lead actress during casting, but takes an unexpected action that heightens tensions.

Episode 5: "The Paranoia" (July 16, 2020)

Emerging chemistry between and strains Alice's home life, prompting her to investigate 's background amid unsettling discoveries.

Episode 6: "The Bad Reader" (July 23, 2020)

Prior to , Alice grows suspicious that 's script draws from concealed real-life events.

Episode 7: "The Scene" (July 30, 2020)

Alice professionally helms a charged love scene featuring and , maintaining composure amid rising interpersonal strains.

Episode 8: "The End" (August 6, 2020)

The series concludes with revelations surrounding the completion of the film Room 209, as Alice and David gear up for its festival premiere.

Cast and Characters

Main Cast

The principal cast of Losing Alice centers on three lead performers who drive the narrative through their portrayals of intertwined professional and personal relationships. Ayelet Zurer stars as Alice Ginor, the established film director and protagonist grappling with creative stagnation and familial demands. A veteran Israeli actress born in 1969, Zurer gained international recognition for her role as Daphna Kaufman in Steven Spielberg's Munich (2005), alongside appearances in Hollywood productions like Man of Steel (2013) as Lara Lor-Van and Israeli series such as Shtisel. Her extensive experience in both domestic and global cinema made her ideal for capturing Alice's authoritative yet vulnerable presence, with Zurer herself noting a deliberate return to Hebrew-language roles for deeper emotional authenticity. Lihi Kornowski plays Sophie Marciano, the ambitious young whose bold ideas challenge Alice's worldview. Born in 1992, Kornowski emerged as a rising talent in Israeli television through roles in series like (2018–2022) and (2018–2019), following her training at Yoram Loewenstein Acting School after as a . Previously a classical singer, her transition to acting marked Losing Alice as a breakout opportunity, where her youthful energy at age 28 during production underscores the generational tensions in the story. She auditioned multiple times, pushing for full script access to grasp Sophie's complexities. Gal Toren portrays David, Alice's husband and a successful providing domestic grounding amid external pressures. Born in 1975, Toren is a multifaceted Israeli artist, known for leading the punk rock band Mercedes Bend and earning nominations for at the Israeli Film for films like Sisters (2016). His casting, aligning with David's mid-career stability around age 45, complements the central duo by highlighting relational dynamics without overshadowing the core female-led conflicts. The casting choices emphasize the series' exploration of age and power imbalances, with Zurer's seasoned maturity (50 during 2019 filming) juxtaposed against Kornowski's fresh vitality to embody turning into , while Toren's comparable age to Zurer reinforces the established at the story's heart.

Supporting Cast and Roles

Shai Avivi portrays Ami, Alice's professional partner in the film production world, whose collaboration underscores the challenges and alliances within the industry that support Alice's attempted career resurgence. Chelli Goldenberg plays Tami, Alice's mother-in-law and David's mother, a figure whose persistent guilt-tripping and concerns about family priorities exert significant influence on household dynamics and Alice's internal conflicts. Tami's role highlights the generational tensions and expectations placed on women balancing career and motherhood in an Israeli familial context. Nova Doval appears as Keren, one of Alice's three daughters, representing the personal sacrifices and domestic obligations that have defined much of Alice's life away from directing. Along with her sisters, Keren's presence emphasizes the emotional weight of Alice's family commitments, contributing to the series' exploration of maternal identity. Yossi Marshek embodies Tamir, a colleague and Sophie's neighbor who harbors past affections for Alice before redirecting his attention, thereby illustrating the overlapping personal and professional entanglements that complicate relationships in the narrative. Tamir's character adds nuance to themes of desire and rivalry within the close-knit creative community depicted. These supporting roles, performed by established Israeli actors, enhance the authenticity of the series' portrayal of cultural and industry-specific pressures, with recurring ensemble interactions underscoring the intimate scale of Tel Aviv's film scene.

Production

Development

Sigal Avin created Losing Alice drawing inspiration from her personal experiences in the Israeli film industry, where she has navigated the challenges of directing while balancing family and career demands. The series explores themes of female ambition and obsession, centering on a 48-year-old director's desperate pursuit of creativity and self-fulfillment, influenced by the Faust legend and Avin's own encounters with rage, jealousy, and the subjective boundaries between reality and fiction in women's lives—though the narrative is not strictly autobiographical. Avin has noted that she always incorporates elements from her life into her characters to authentically capture these complex female dynamics. As the sole writer, Avin developed the script through an intensive process that allowed her to delve into dark emotional territories, using writing as a therapeutic outlet to process personal anxieties about aging, motherhood, and artistic identity. She spent three years on the overall creation, including scripting, which enabled the characters to evolve organically and push boundaries in portraying flawed women. The project secured initial production partnerships with Dori Media Group and Israel's Hot channel, leading to its Israeli premiere on Hot 3 in June 2020. Apple TV+ subsequently partnered with Dori Media and Hot for co-production and global streaming rights on June 26, 2020, enhancing its international appeal through this collaboration.

Filming and Technical Aspects

Principal photography for Losing Alice took place over nearly three months in 2019, primarily in , . continued into 2020 and was impacted by , which made the editing process challenging but did not significantly delay . The was handled by Rotem Yaron, who employed intimate lighting techniques to heighten the psychological depth of scenes, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that mirrored the characters' inner turmoil. Yaron's visual style drew on subtle and close-ups to convey emotional intensity without overt exposition. Technical aspects of the series included the strategic use of handheld cameras to build tension during key sequences, allowing for dynamic, unsteady shots that immersed viewers in the protagonists' disorientation. The original score, composed by Assa Raviv and Tom Meira Armony, featured minimalist electronic motifs and recurring dissonant strings to underscore themes of obsession and psychological unraveling, enhancing the thriller's suspenseful tone. Raviv and Armony's music integrated seamlessly with the sound design, using subtle cues to amplify moments of ambiguity and desire.

Release

Original Broadcast

The series had its world premiere at the We Are One: A Global Film Festival on May 29, 2020, before airing domestically in on the Hot 3 channel starting June 18, 2020. The eight-episode first season aired weekly thereafter, with episodes broadcast on Thursday evenings. The series concluded its original run on August 6, 2020. Each episode ran for approximately 50 minutes and was scheduled at 10:15 PM IST.

International Distribution

Following its Israeli premiere, Losing Alice was acquired by Apple TV+ for international distribution, launching exclusively on the platform worldwide starting January 22, 2021, with the first three episodes available immediately and subsequent episodes released weekly. The series became available for streaming in over 100 countries through Apple TV+, which at the time of release operated in approximately 107 markets, enabling broad global access to the eight-episode first season. In French-speaking regions, the series was distributed under the title La Chute d'Alice, with both subtitled and dubbed versions provided on Apple TV+ to accommodate local audiences, including in where it garnered attention in media outlets. This adaptation supported its rollout across and other territories served by the platform, maintaining the original Hebrew audio option alongside localized language tracks. As of 2025, Losing Alice remains available for streaming exclusively on Apple TV+ in all supported international markets, with no additional seasons produced or announced, positioning it as a limited series in its global presentation.

Reception

Critical Response

Losing Alice received generally favorable reviews from critics, earning an aggregate score of 78% on based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. On , the series holds a score of 75 out of 100 from five critics, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Reviewers frequently highlighted the strong performances, particularly as the protagonist Alice, whose portrayal captured the character's internal conflicts and vulnerability with emotional rawness. Lihi Kornowski's role as the enigmatic was also praised for blending manipulation and fragility, adding psychological depth to the central dynamic. Critics commended the series for its innovative female-centric thriller narrative, which explores themes of obsession and creative ambition through a fragmented, dream-like structure that heightens tension without relying on overt twists. The psychological depth was noted for effectively delving into the protagonist's anxieties as a middle-aged in the film industry, offering a sharp dissection of personal and professional renewal. described it as Apple's best drama series to date, praising its patient pacing and evocative use of internal turmoil to build genuine anxiety. However, some reviews pointed to pacing issues in the later episodes, where the slow-burn approach occasionally led to repetition and viewer disengagement. critiqued the underwhelming Lynchian elements, such as abrupt surreal moments, which failed to intrigue due to underdeveloped characters and a non-linear structure that confused rather than enhanced the thriller tropes. The series was also faulted for occasional reliance on contrived and arbitrary relationships, diluting the organic emotional stakes. The critical consensus appreciated Losing Alice for its insights into the Israeli film industry and its relevance in a post-#MeToo landscape, portraying women's agency and with feminist forwardness. It was lauded for addressing the underrepresentation of aging , providing a nuanced look at midlife reinvention amid voyeuristic and power dynamics.

Awards and Nominations

Losing Alice received recognition from the Israeli Academy of Film and Television Awards in 2020, where it was nominated in the Best Drama Series category alongside other prominent series such as , , and . It was also nominated for Best Cinematography. The series was longlisted in the drama category, with creator Sigal Avin noted as the only female director among the approximately 20 shows longlisted across drama and comedy categories. As of November 2025, Losing Alice has not secured any wins from these or other major industry awards. The series has been highlighted in lists of notable Apple TV+ originals, underscoring its international distribution but without additional formal accolades. These nominations highlight the series' technical achievements and narrative innovation within the Israeli television landscape, particularly in .

References

  1. https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/losing-alice-apple-streaming-1234691152/
  2. https://tv.apple.com/us/show/losing-alice/umc.cmc.1h3msl5cfif0fz9my2kgvtk36
  3. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12398140/releaseinfo/
  4. https://deadline.com/2020/11/apple-acquires-israeli-neo-noir-series-losing-alice-1202970559/
  5. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/losing_alice/s01
  6. https://www.haaretz.com/life/television/2021-01-24/ty-article/.premium/apple-tv-losing-alice-review-israeli-tv/0000017f-e29b-d9aa-afff-fbdb557e0000
  7. https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/losing-alice/
  8. https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/losing-alice-tv-review
  9. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/apple-picks-up-israeli-neo-noir-series-losing-alice-1300549/
  10. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12398140/
  11. https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Losing-Alice/0GPNV6NNXL60C9ESBULSFQ283V
  12. https://www.heyalma.com/losing-alice-creator-sigal-avin-on-writing-the-female-gaze/
  13. https://www.haaretz.com/life/television/2021-01-29/ty-article/.premium/behind-the-scenes-of-the-hit-israeli-erotic-thriller-losing-alice/0000017f-f20f-d487-abff-f3ff95fb0000
  14. https://www.amny.com/entertainment/israeli-film-noir-series-losing-aliceexplores-complex-female-identities-that-are-far-from-black-and-white/
  15. https://www.thecherrypicks.com/stories/how-losing-alice-helped-sigal-avin-find-balance
  16. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/losing-alice-home
  17. https://www.cultofmac.com/reviews/losing-alice-review-the-end
  18. https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/losing-alice-ending-apple-director-sigal-avin-1234619332/
  19. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12398140/episodes/?season=1
  20. https://www.episodate.com/tv-show/losing-alice?season=1
  21. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408306/characters/nm0957909/
  22. https://www.timesofisrael.com/actress-ayelet-zurer-packs-a-punch-in-psychological-thriller-losing-alice/
  23. https://decider.com/2021/01/22/losing-alice-apple-tv-plus-stream-it-or-skip-it/
  24. https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/lihi-kornowski-talks-to-diego-boneta-about-her-breakout-role-on-losing-alice
  25. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12398140/fullcredits/
  26. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ayelet-zurer-on-the-variety-and-complexity-in-apple-tv-series-losing-alice-4120838/
  27. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/losing_alice/cast-and-crew
  28. https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1387346/losing-alice-cast-who-is-in-losing-alice-series
  29. https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/losing-alice/cast/1030827668/
  30. https://www.cmrubinworld.com/losing-alice-director-sigal-avin-on-the-tough-conflicts-facing-female-directors/
  31. https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/332115/jealousy-obsession-and-thrills-in-israeli-series-losing-alice/
  32. https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2020/06/apple-expands-international-slate-with-neo-noir-thriller-losing-alice/
  33. https://thecinemaholic.com/is-losing-alice-a-true-story-where-was-it-filmed/
  34. https://www.assaraviv.com/film-tv
  35. https://dubbing.fandom.com/wiki/Losing_Alice
  36. https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/104022
  37. https://next-episode.net/losing-alice
  38. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CCtSyQrBLj0/
  39. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253498187
  40. https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/television/2022-01-10/dans-l-enregistreuse-de-catherine-brunet.php
  41. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/premiere/emissions/plus-on-est-de-fous-plus-on-lit/episodes/511227/rattrapage-du-lundi-8-fevrier-2021/references
  42. https://tv.apple.com/fr/show/losing-alice/umc.cmc.1h3msl5cfif0fz9my2kgvtk36
  43. https://www.metacritic.com/tv/losing-alice/
  44. https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/losing-alice-review-apple-tv-plus-1234610513/
  45. https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/losing-alice-review-apple-2861796
  46. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/26/arts/television/losing-alice-ayelet-zurer.html
  47. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/culture/academy-releases-israeli-tv-nominations-659033
  48. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12398140/awards/
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