Fantasy Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Fantasy

Man in blue Superman costume with red cape and "S" logo stands in white-lit corridor with angular grey walls.
Review

Superman review – levity and humour win the day

by Leila Latif

James Gunn ditches the gloom with his make-or-break refresh of this oft-filmed comic book stalwart.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Black dragon-like creature with horns and green eyes resting on sandy ground.
Review

How To Train Your Dragon review – never quite catches the updraft needed to soar to uncharted heights

by Yasmine Kandil

Dreamworks’ first foray into the world of live-action remakes is fairly unremarkable despite occasional sparks of magic.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A woman with short, curly blonde hair gazes intensely at the camera, wearing a black jacket.
Review

Thunderbolts* review – the best Marvel film in a while

by Fatima Sheriff

There’s a lot of superficial fun to be had with this superhero romp, which hasn’t been the case in the MCU for a long while.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Four people standing outdoors near a building with red roofs and decorative architectural elements.
Review

Death of a Unicorn review – goodbye horses, good riddance

by Billie Walker

Alex Scharfman rallies together a cast stacked with comedic actors, but the result of this dull ​‘Eat the Rich’ flick misses the mark.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Vibrant anime-style characters, including a woman with long red hair, a bearded older man in ornate robes, and a blonde man, seated in an ornate, dimly lit chamber.
Review

Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim review – not canon-level

by David Jenkins

This animé-style journey to Middle Earth dials back on risk and charm to robustly tell a simple tale of good versus evil.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two female characters in tropical setting, surrounded by palm trees and water.
Review

Moana 2 review – a tidal wave of joy on the big screen

by Yasmine Kandil

Although it doesn’t quite soar to the heights of the original, there’s a lot to enjoy in this delightful sequel.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two women, one with blonde hair wearing a pink cardigan, the other with green skin and a dark outfit, posing together in front of Christmas decorations.
Review

Wicked review – Grande and Erivo’s chemistry is unmatched

by Fatima Sheriff

CGI Blockbuster visuals aside, there’s much to love in Jon M Chu’s adaptation of one of Broadway’s biggest musical successes.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Ornate headdress, elaborate gown, dark red background.
Review

Timestalker review – ripples with insight and emotion

by David Jenkins

Alice Lowe’s miraculous second feature is a triumph of imagination, soul-searching and a refined comic instinct.

4
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Person blowing out candles on birthday cake in a kitchen setting.
Festivals

The End – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Joshua Oppenheimer returns with an ambitious, post-apocalyptic musical whose thematic flights of fancy are always just a little too strident.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two characters in dark attire, one with a striped costume, stand in a shadowy environment.
Review

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice review – squelchy, stripy sequel fun

by Hannah Strong

Burton, Keaton and Ryder turn up the juice and see what shakes loose in a sequel 36 years in the making that manages to deliver plenty of laughs even if it’s all a bit chaotic.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
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 men, one with a beard and one with grey hair and a beard, applauding in a formal setting.
Review

The American Society of Magical Negroes review – an undercooked, frustrating satire

by Hamza Shehryar

Less Harry Potter and more American Fiction, this politically charged satire is more banal than it first seems.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect