Drama Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Drama

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
A person with long dark hair wearing a yellow shawl, facing a person wearing a brown jacket in a wooded area.
Review

Poor Things review – Lanthimos at his most playful and comedic

by Savina Petkova

Emma Stone gives a career-defin­ing per­for­mance in Yor­gos Lan­thi­mos’ opu­lent provo­ca­tion about the human body as a nexus for plea­sure and pain.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A grey-haired man in a dark suit and glasses, looking serious, seated with others in the background.
Review

One Life review – protect Anthony Hopkins at all costs

by Adam Woodward

Antho­ny Hop­kins is sen­sa­tion­al in James Hawes’ oth­er­wise fair­ly con­ven­tion­al biopic of Nicholas Win­ton, who was respon­si­ble for res­cu­ing hun­dreds of Jew­ish chil­dren from Nazi-occu­pied Czechoslovakia.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect