Thriller Reviews and Features | Little White Lies

Genre Thriller

Close-up of a bearded man with a weathered face, wearing a dark, wet jacket, standing in a dark, rainy environment.
Review

Venom: The Last Dance review – air-headed escapism

by David Jenkins

Tom Hardy seems tired and confused in this comic book sci-fi sequel that hasn’t got an original bone in its alien symbiote body.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Close-up of a woman with blonde hair wearing a blue sequined top, crying with tears running down her face.
Review

Smile 2 review – this is going to ruin the tour

by Hannah Strong

Parker Finn follows up his 2022 smash with a suitably silly sequel, in which a pop star becomes the latest victim of the grinning demon who drives victims to suicide.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Portrait of a man wearing a brown leather jacket and floral shirt, with a serious expression on his face.
Review

A Different Man review – an atmospheric, idiosyncratic thriller

by Hannah Strong

Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson are an excellent double act in Aaron Schimberg’s effective sophomore feature.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two people leaning in close, lit by warm orange light.
Review

Joker: Folie à Deux review – a grim karaoke session

by Hannah Strong

Todd Phillips recruits Lady Gaga to his circus act as Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the crime-committing clown about town in this shockingly amateur musical effort.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
A smiling man with a beard wearing a red and black checked shirt, looking through a wooden doorway.
Review

Speak No Evil review – an effective game of cat and mouse

by David Jenkins

James McAvoy is a blast as the overly-friendly patriarch who invites unwitting tourists back to his west country stack for fun and games.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Close-up of a woman's face, with vibrant orange and red lighting casting a dramatic glow on her features.
Review

Red Rooms review – a claustrophobic tech-tinged nightmare

by Hannah Strong

Pascal Plante’s haunting drama examines the dark reality of the true crime industrial complex in elegant and austere fashion.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Young Black man sitting on kerb outside building, looking thoughtful
Review

Rebel Ridge review – Aaron Pierre delivers the goods and then some

by Kambole Campbell

Jeremy Saulnier returns with a flinty, restrained crime-conspiracy thriller exploring small town police corruption and the one guy who they should never have messed with.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Close-up of a woman with dark hair covering her mouth with her hand, appearing distressed.
Review

Cadejo Blanco review – a stand-out performance from Karen Martínez

by David Jenkins

A young woman in Guatemala takes a deadly risk to find her missing sister in Justin Lerner’s tense thriller.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two people, a woman wearing a sun hat and a man in a white shirt, standing in a lush, green garden.
Review

Blink Twice review – righteous fury in paradise

by Hannah Strong

Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut with this gutsy thriller about a dream vacation that quickly takes a dark turn.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A dark, ominous creature looming over a person's terrified face in a dimly lit setting.
Review

Alien: Romulus review – does enough to get a passing mark

by David Jenkins

The Xenomorphs are allowed to run amok once more in this passable franchise offshoot.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect