Posts by Rogan Graham

Mati Diop: ‘We’re witnessing an awakening of consciousness’

By Rogan Graham

The maker of the remarkable prizewinning docu-essay hybrid, Dahomey, on the film’s urgent anti-colonial message.

Blitz – A vital fragment of the Steve McQueen saga

By Rogan Graham

A mother and son reunion takes place on the bomb-shattered streets of World War Two-era London in this sweeping historical melodrama.

review

Inside Atlas Cinema, the space democratising film exhibition

By Rogan Graham

Nestled beneath a railway arch in Brixton, a group of curators and community activists come together to share cinema free of prohibitive ticket prices and think beyond the constraints of the British film industry.

Kneecap: ‘There was no word for cocaine in Irish’

By Rogan Graham

Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí, better known as Kneecap, (plus director Rich Peppiatt) give the lowdown on the creation of their raucous quasi-biopic, which captures the formation of their rap trio in Belfast and the ongoing fight to save the Irish language.

Bye Bye Tiberias review – gets under your skin and stays there

By Rogan Graham

Lina Soualem’s poignant new documentary traces the stories of four generations of Palestinian women in her family.

review

The Bikeriders review – a slow but enveloping saga

By Rogan Graham

Jeff Nichols' drama based on Danny Lyon’s photobook about a 1960s Chicago motorcycle gang finally cruises into cinemas.

review

Back to Black review – a pointlessly cruel hash of Amy’s life

By Rogan Graham

This miserable biopic claims to celebrate the life and music of Amy Winehouse, but instead serves as a ghoulish encapsulation of everything wrong with the music industry and fame machine.

review

Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares: ‘Gentrification is hard to dramatise’

By Rogan Graham

Old pals and creative collaborators Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares team up to present their vision of a near future where London's last social housing estate stands up against the oppressive regime.

The Kitchen review – vindicating and explosive

By Rogan Graham

Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares' feature debut is a kinetic, prescient thriller about gentrification and isolation in a near-future version of London.

review LWLies Recommends

The bleak, blistering end of Bill Hader’s Barry

By Rogan Graham

The black comedy series about a hitman pursuing an acting career ended with bloodshed and a damning appraisal of the true crime industrial complex.

Chinonye Chukwu: ‘I felt that the camera cannot be a voyeuristic lens’

By Rogan Graham

The director of Till speaks about the challenges of portraying a traumatic piece of American Black history on screen.

Till

By Rogan Graham

Chinonye Chukwu directs a magnificent Danielle Deadwyler and Jalyn Hall as they play Emmett Till and his grieving mother, Mamie.

review LWLies Recommends

The Woman King

By Rogan Graham

Gina Prince-Bythewood delivers her masterpiece in this quietly radical action epic with a stunning lead turn from Viola Davis.

review LWLies Recommends

Nope

By Rogan Graham

A brother and sister attempt to record proof of extra-terrestrial life in Jordan Peele’s ambitious, expertly-crafted blockbuster.

review LWLies Recommends

Marry Me

By Rogan Graham

Easily digestible hunk of rom-com fluff with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson doing the mismatched couple thing.

review

Lingui, the Sacred Bonds

By Rogan Graham

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s powerful drama is a poignant ode to a subtly complex vision of feminine solidarity.

review LWLies Recommends

Jeymes Samuel: ‘Movie westerns have lied to us our whole lives’

By Rogan Graham

The singer-songwriter known as The Bullitts slinks into the role of filmmaker with his super fun revisionist western, The Harder They Fall.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

By Rogan Graham

This bloated reboot of the hit ’90s cartoon crossover is little more than a cynical exercise in brand synergy.

review

The Underground Railroad is a revelatory telling of a complex tale

By Rogan Graham

Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winner is a nuanced small-screen masterwork.

MLK/FBI

By Rogan Graham

Based on newly declassified transcripts, this documentary charts the US government’s harassment of the civil rights leader.

review LWLies Recommends

Alex Wheatle

By Rogan Graham

The striking fourth episode in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology depicts the difficult blossoming of an artist.

review

Mangrove

By Rogan Graham

Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology kicks off with this searing court room drama about the Mangrove Nine trial.

review LWLies Recommends

Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project

By Rogan Graham

One woman’s obsession with recording the TV news becomes a fascinating visual chronicle of modern history.

review

Mangrove – first-look review

By Rogan Graham

Steve McQueen’s film about the Mangrove Nine trial is a masterful evocation of political determination.

Channing Godfrey Peoples: ‘I’ve always been fascinated with lineage’

By Rogan Graham

Don’t be fooled by the surface-level frivolity of Miss Juneteenth says its canny, thoughtful director.

Rocks

By Rogan Graham

Sarah Gavron gives the coming-of-age drama a vital shot in the arm with a film of rare empathy and joy.

review LWLies Recommends

Clemency

By Rogan Graham

An astonishing, intense performance from Alfre Woodard carries this sombre, powerful death row drama.

review LWLies Recommends

Phoenix

By Rogan Graham

A stirring and stark portrait of a family in crisis from Norwegian director Camilla Strøm Henriksen.

review

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Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

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