Drama Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Drama

Close-up of a person with dreadlocks performing on stage, holding an electric guitar and microphone.
Review

Bob Marley: One Love review – a low-calorie music bio

by David Jenkins

An ultra-conventional jukebox biog where a celebration of the music trumps a true exploration of the man.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Close-up of a man with long, dark hair and a serious expression against a blue background.
Review

The Settlers review – a brutally violent anti-western

by David Jenkins

This haunting debut by Felipe Gálvez Haberle dismantles the violent colonial trappings of the classic western.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Three adults conversing at a table in a restaurant, with drinks and a lamp visible.
Review

American Fiction review – wry literary satire is a mixed bag

by David Jenkins

Jeffrey Wright shines in a bold contemporary arts satire that doesn’t quite manage to hit all of its targets.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Scenic lake surrounded by forested hills, with a group of people sitting on the grass in the foreground.
Review

The Zone of Interest review – a towering, awful masterwork

by Hannah Strong

Jonathan Glazer’s stark film about the domestic routine of the Höss family next door to Auschwitz is a colossal, profoundly disturbing achievement in filmmaking.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two smiling women, one wearing a patterned dress, the other a large straw hat, sitting together and laughing.
Review

The Color Purple review – rides on its stellar performances

by David Jenkins

Blitz Bazawule delivers an all singing, all dancing update of Alice Walker’s harrowing story of women in postbellum Georgia.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Silhouetted figure in multicoloured, reflective waters; abstract cityscape in background.
Review

Samsara review – a quiet, radical masterwork

by Neil Young

Lois Patiño travels from Laos to Zanzibar via the bardo in this unique and jaw-dropping tale of bodily transcendence.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Three men in a lift, wearing casual clothing.
Review

All of Us Strangers review – a supernova of a film

by Hannah Strong

Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal are electric in Andrew Haigh’s twist on the modern ghost story, adapted from Taichi Yamada’s cult novel.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two men, one riding a dark-coloured motorcycle, the other standing on the pavement, in front of a building with glass windows.
Review

The Kitchen review – vindicating and explosive

by Rógan Graham

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

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A man with curly hair and a beard, wearing a light-coloured robe, sitting in a relaxed pose with his arms crossed.
Review

The Book of Clarence review – hilarious highs, jumbled lows

by Cheyenne Bart-Stewart

Jeymes Samuel’s second feature follows the misadventures of one of the thieves who ended up on the cross next to Jesus Christ himself.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two people standing in a snowy outdoor setting, one wearing a brown coat and the other wearing a blue and black coat.
Review

The Holdovers review – the most scintillating festive movie in years

by Lillian Crawford

A curmudgeonly teacher, a grieving cook and a petulant young student find themselves thrown together for the holidays in Alexander Payne’s excellent Christmassy dramedy.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect