Documentary Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Documentary

Rugged landscape with military vehicle, concrete structure, and armed personnel on a remote desert scene.
Review

Notturno

by Trevor Johnston

This captivating docu-reverie from Gianfranco Rosi reveals the aftereffects of war on people in the Middle East.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A woman in a red jacket with her hand on her ear, standing in front of red curtains.
Review

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

by David Jenkins

A stirring and fraught mother-daughter relationship is at the centre of this lively punk rock doc.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two performers on stage, one playing guitar and the other singing into a microphone, with a large globe projection behind them.
Review

Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry

by Sydney Urbanek

Billie Eilish and her tight-knit family navigate her first half a decade of stardom in this intimate documentary.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A footballer in a yellow jersey kicks the ball in a crowded stadium.
Review

Pelé

by Adam Woodward

This authorised look at the life of the Brazilian icon reveals more about the man than the footballer.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Glowing green grid landscape with abstract structures and figures, dark background.
Review

A Glitch in the Matrix

by David Jenkins

Crackpot conspiracy or disturbing reality? Director Rodney Ascher investigates the murky world of simulation theory.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two individuals wearing personal protective equipment cleaning a mirror-like surface on a stone wall.
Review

Life in a Day 2020

by Leila Latif

Kevin Macdonald updates his crowdsourced 2010 documentary to give a glimpse of life on Earth in the age of Covid.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Performer playing keyboard on stage, surrounded by large crowd.
Festivals

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) – first-look review

by Leila Latif

Questlove’s triumphant directorial debut charts the cultural impact and legacy of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.

3
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Healthcare worker in protective suit attending to a patient on a hospital bed.
Review

76 Days

by Weiting Liu

This intimate documentary, shot during lockdown in Wuhan, measures the human cost of the coronavirus pandemic.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Close-up portrait of a serious-looking man in a suit, with focused eyes and an intense expression.
Review

MLK/FBI

by Rógan Graham

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

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Back of a person's head wearing a dark suit, overlooking a cityscape.
Review

Mayor

by Matt Turner

This striking portrait of the mayor or Ramallah digs into the details of governance, diplomacy and dignity.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect