Drama Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Drama

Close-up of a serious-looking Black man with a beard wearing a purple top, with another man in the background.
Review

Sing Sing review – Domingo and Maclin deliver powerhouse performances

by Isaac Feldberg

Set in a correctional facility, Greg Kwedar’s poignant drama offers an exploration of art’s transformative potential.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two people, a man and a woman, embrace in a cosy, dimly lit room with a painting on the wall and a table with plates of food.
Review

Only the River Flows review – a spellbinding nightmare

by Josh Slater-Williams

A detective is haunted by a murder case he can’t crack in Wei Shujun’s unsettling crime drama.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A woman with dark hair wearing a yellow shirt stands in a grassy field with trees in the background.
Review

Tuesday review – a magical realist allegory

by Anton Bitel

A mother and her teenage daughter come face to face with death in the form of a strange talking bird in Daina Oniunas-Pusic’s feature debut.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two people performing on stage, one woman singing into a microphone and one man holding a microphone, against a backdrop of neon lights.
Review

It Ends With Us review – struggles to grapple with its heavy themes

by Anna McKibbin

Literary behemoth Colleen Hoover makes her cinematic debut, with this meandering, shallow examination of domestic abuse.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two women dressed in vibrant, colourful clothing pose together in a lush, verdant setting.
Review

Alma’s Rainbow review – a stylish gem

by Marina Ashioti

30 years since its initial release, Ayoka Chenzira’s underseen debut feature receives a gorgeous 4K restoration.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Young Asian person with mouth wide open and eyes squinting, expressing exuberant laughter.
Review

Dìdi review – a neo-nostalgic period piece

by David Jenkins

Set in 2008, a 13-year-old boy undergoes the trials and tribulations of his final month of middle school in Sean Wang’s directorial debut.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A young man and woman sitting on a couch, surrounded by a neon green lighting.
Review

I Saw the TV Glow review – an instant queer classic

by Esther Rosenfield

Jane Schoenbrun’s sophomore feature is an unnerving take on loneliness, isolation, and the enduring mysteries of children’s media.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A person with long, dark hair partially covered in snow, with a serious expression on their face.
Review

About Dry Grasses review – consistently mind-expanding

by David Jenkins

Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s magnificent latest follows the daily life of a cantankerous English teacher in a small Anatollian village.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A woman and a young girl sitting close together, looking at each other intently.
Review

Shayda review – a moving, necessary picture

by Madeleine Wilson

Noora Niasari’s tender drama follows a mother and her six-year-old daughter who take shelter at a women’s refuge after fleeing an abusive marriage.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Smiling woman in dark clothing applauding in a crowded room, with people in the background.
Review

Crossing review – sensitive and soulful

by Hannah Strong

A retired Georgian teacher sets out to reunite with her estranged niece in Istanbul in Levan Akin’s compassionate third feature.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect