--- title: "Little Children: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/little-children/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/little-children" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Little Children (2006): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 12 reviews: 8 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Little Children, and the praise clusters around the acting. Kate Winslet is singled out more than anyone; Jackie Earle Haley’s Ronnie, described in several reviews as both pitiable and menacing, comes a close second, and Noah Emmerich gets a mention too. Todd Field’s direction is called precise, and the intercutting of the ensemble stories is credited with holding the film together. The reviews describe it as sharp, adult and unsettling, a mix of satire and bleak drama that works more often than not. The reservations are about shape and length. More than one review finds the side stories slack and the film a little long. The Skinny says the story falters in the third act and that Jennifer Connelly is underused. The sharpest dissent comes from Slant Magazine, which calls the film pretentious and contrived and objects to how heavily it spells out its themes. The spread is wide, but the positives clearly outnumber the doubters. ## Los Angeles Times — Carina Chocano Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2006. Chocano finds the film deeply resonant, blending satire with an empathetic, humanistic vision. She especially praises the pool scene for its complexity and emotional subtlety. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-06-et-little6-story.html) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 April 2007. Mackie finds the film riveting and thoughtfully entertaining, praising its complex characters and skilfully intercut ensemble stories. He especially singles out Kate Winslet’s performance, while noting that not every scene works. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/apr/30/dvdreviews.katewinslet) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2006. Denby finds the film sharply intelligent and affecting, placing it among the best of the suburban-anguish genre. He especially praises Kate Winslet’s nuanced performance and Todd Field’s precise, fluid direction. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/10/16/small-worlds-2) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 3 November 2006. The review praises the film as a sly, sexy adult drama with brains and balls, though some side-stories feel flabby. It singles out Kate Winslet’s fiery performance and Jackie Earle Haley’s disturbing turn as Ronnie. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/little-children-review/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B. 5 October 2006. Tobias finds the film reductive but ultimately persuasive, with its two storylines building to an unsettling result. He particularly praises Jackie Earle Haley’s performance for combining vulnerability with menace. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/little-children-1798202068) ## Empire — Helen O'Hara Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2000. O’Hara finds the film complex and thought-provoking, with an unsettling mix of black comedy and bleak drama. She particularly praises Noah Emmerich’s standout performance and the morally complicated portrayal of the characters. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/little-children-review/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2006. Festival review. McCarthy finds the film deft, emotionally acute, and likely to connect with viewers, though he considers it somewhat overlong and occasionally fastidious. He praises Kate Winslet’s strong, intelligent performance and the film’s carefully crafted everyday atmosphere. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/little-children-2-1200513748/) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 29 September 2006. The page was inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. The available text does not identify anything the critic praised or criticized. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/movies/29chil.html) ## Time Out — Ben Walters Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2006. The available page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no review text from which to identify a specific point of praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/little-children-1) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1.5/4. 24 September 2006. Schager dismisses the film as pretentious and contrived. He particularly objects to its heavy-handed exposition and insistence on spelling out its themes. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/little-children/) ## Eye for Film — Steve Harwood Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2006. Harwood finds the film powerful and fascinating, praising its layered portrayal of suburban life. He especially singles out Jackie Earle Haley’s startling performance as both sympathetic and menacing. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/little-children-film-review-by-steve-harwood) ## The Skinny — Megan Garriock Rating ★★★. 12 November 2006. The review finds the film compelling at first but says its story falters in the third act. It praises the performances and on-screen chemistry of Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson, while criticizing Jennifer Connelly’s underused role and the implausible plot twists. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/little-children) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/little-children.md