Reviews

The Contestant review – discomforting and totally immersive

By Barney Nuttall

Clair Titley's doc tells the outrageous story of a Japanese man who was left naked and trapped in a room for over a year, unwittingly becoming a reality TV star.

review

All We Imagine as Light review – this one is for the lover girls

By Jenna Mahale

Payal Kapadia's first fiction feature is a gorgeous romance concerning the lives of two contrasting nurses in present-day Mumbai.

review LWLies Recommends

Conclave review – a slick romp with delusions of grandeur

By David Jenkins

A power struggle at the heart of the Catholic church is the conceit for Edward Berger's quite silly papal drama.

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.

review

Layla review – Bilal Hasna shines

By Marina Ashioti

This occasionally-vibrant odd couple gay relationship drama is too superficial and silly to leave a lasting mark.

review

Witches review – leaves you wowed, wounded and educated

By David Jenkins

This vital and deeply personal essay doc carefully dissects and dismantles age-old representations of witches.

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.

review

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat review – a sprawling geopolitical tapestry

By Phil Concannon

Johan Grimonprez's documentary explores the circumstances that led two American jazz musicians to crash the UN Security Council in protest against the murder of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba.

review

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point review – a lo-fi holiday classic in the making

By Hannah Strong

A large Italian-American family gather for the holidays in Tyler Taormina's freewheeling festive feature.

review

Gladiator II review – are you not entertained?!

By Hannah Strong

Paul Mescal picks up the mantel as the avenging angel of Rome in Ridley Scott's long-awaited but lacklustre sequel.

review

The Piano Lesson review – high-quality but low-impact work

By Leila Latif

Malcolm Washington makes his feature directorial debut with an ambitious adaptation of one of August Wilson’s most well-known plays.

review

No Other Land review – a microcosm of Palestinian resistance

By Fatima Sheriff

Calling for a free Palestine, this vital doc chronicles the resilience of the Masafer Yatta community and the occupation’s atrocities in the West Bank.

review

Paddington in Peru review – a very well-executed threequel

By David Jenkins

It’s three for three in the beloved bear franchise, as our marmalade-scoffing scamp heads off for an adventure in his South American homeland.

review

Bird review – a magical, energetic marvel

By Hannah Strong

Social and magical realism merge in Andrea Arnold’s scintillating Thames Estuary fable about the friendship between a latchkey kid and a smiling wanderer searching for home.

review LWLies Recommends

Juror #2 review – one of Clint Eastwood’s finest late-era films

By David Jenkins

Clint Eastwood’s 40th film offers a morally complex riff on the tried-and-tested courtroom drama which culminates in a killer final shot.

review LWLies Recommends

Anora review – an amazing, hypermodern concept for a film

By David Jenkins

A young sex worker thinks she's hit the jackpot when she falls for a Russian nepo baby, but his parents have other plans in Sean Baker's anti-rom-com.

review LWLies Recommends

Heretic review – Hugh Grant is a horror natural

By Leila Latif

Two Mormon missionaries get more than they bargained for when they drop in on Hugh Grant in Scott Beck and Bryan Woods' effective psychological horror.

review LWLies Recommends

Matt and Mara review – a sharp dramedy with magnetic leads

By Hannah Strong

Two college friends reunite and reconsider the trajectory of their lives in Kazik Radwanski's keenly observed relationship comedy-drama.

review LWLies Recommends

Little White Lies Logo

About Little White Lies

Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

Editorial

Design