Drama Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Drama

Curly-haired child sitting on a couch, wearing a pink and white outfit, with a thoughtful expression on their face.
Review

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

by Charles Bramesco

Jessica Chastain transforms into the opulent yet controversial​Tammy Faye Messner in Michael Showalter’s customary biopic.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A woman in a pinstriped blazer sits at a table, looking thoughtful with her chin resting on her hand.
Review

The Souvenir: Part II

by Hannah Strong

The sequel to Joanna Hogg’s autobiographical masterpiece is a stunning portrait of an artist’s profound exploration of grief.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Headshot of a man wearing a dark jacket, looking down at something in his hands.
Review

Jockey

by Emily Maskell

Clint Bentley’s debut feature is an authentic character study profiling the realm of professional horse racing.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Illustration of a young woman with pink hair against a surreal, psychedelic background with floating shapes and lights.
Review

Belle

by Hannah Strong

A tale as old as time gets a cyberspace makeover in Mamoru Hosoda’s reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Young woman in white top and orange headscarf, young boy in colourful blanket, looking out of window frame
Review

Lingui, the Sacred Bonds

by Rógan Graham

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

3
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two people embracing in a kitchen, a man and a woman with distinctive hairstyles.
Review

Parallel Mothers

by David Jenkins

Femininity, pathos, generational trauma and collective memory converge in Pedro Almodóvar’s latest masterpiece.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Person in a white dress standing in a wheat field, with a clear sky in the background.
Review

Flag Day

by Mark Asch

Sean Penn’s directorial follow-up to The Last Face is a blatantly self-indulgent vanity project full of tiring clichés.

1
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
A young woman with curly dark hair looking concerned, sitting at a desk with books and stationery in a colourful, cosy room.
Review

Memory Box

by Steph Green

Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige craft a thoughtful collage that blends personal archives with intergenerational traumas.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Three young people, two girls and a boy, posing for a photograph outdoors. The boy holds a sword and a large circular object, while the girls hold smaller, decorated umbrellas.
Review

Belfast

by Hannah Strong

Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical drama about The Troubles is undermined by its depthless and apolitical tone.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two people, a man in a grey top and a woman in a yellow top, interacting outdoors in front of a building with columns.
Review

A Journal for Jordan

by Marina Ashioti

Denzel Washington’s fourth directorial effort is a story of love, loss and sacrifice told through the journal of Charles Monroe King.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect