--- title: "Big Little Lies: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/big-little-lies/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/big-little-lies" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 8 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." --- # Big Little Lies (2017): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it, and the praise falls in two places. The first is the cast: Witherspoon and Kidman are named again and again, with the wider ensemble credited for giving depth to women who could have been types. The second is Jean-Marc Vallée’s direction, which several reviews say takes a soapy premise about wealthy Monterey mothers judging one another’s parenting and makes it darker and more serious than it needs to be. The murder mystery and the gossipy police interviews are treated as the hook rather than the point; what the reviews respond to is the friendship, the resentment and the violence underneath the money. The reservations are few and mostly mild. Vulture finds the elliptical structure overused, trading suspense for surprise, and The Times admits the world on show is vacuous even while finding truth in it. The one clear dissent is The Hollywood Reporter, which calls the melodrama annoying, the confrontations contrived and the chorus of gossiping parents too much. Otherwise the spread is narrow. ## Variety — Sonia Saraiya Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 February 2017. Vallée’s direction elevates the pulpy material into a satisfying exploration of wealthy suburban life, trauma, and gender dynamics, with strong performances from Witherspoon and Kidman. The mystery structure and character depth make the inevitable catastrophe watchable rather than a simple whodunit. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/tv/reviews/tv-review-big-little-lies-hbo-reese-witherspoon-nicole-kidman-jean-marc-vallee-1201979575/) ## Radio Times — Kasia Delgado Rating 8.4/10. The series initially appears to focus on bitter, rich women in an ultra-wealthy Californian seaside town who judge each other’s parenting, but ultimately celebrates female friendship amid horror. It frames the central murder mystery through gossipy police interviews with parents. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-8teamn/big-little-lies/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2017. The critic praises this fabulous adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s bestseller as going beyond Desperate Housewives territory with a satisfying darkness. It highlights the power struggles, jealousies and underlying flaws among the wealthy Monterey mothers, building inexorably toward death. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/14/big-little-lies-review-reese-witherspoon-nicole-kidman-someone-dead) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2017. The critic finds the series an addictive social satire and murder mystery with strong performances, especially from the lead actresses who bring depth to their characters. The elliptical storytelling prioritizes surprise over suspense and sometimes feels overused, but the acting makes it a must-see. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/tv-review-big-little-lies.html) ## The Times Rating ★★★★☆. 14 March 2017. The critic finds depth, class and humour in this glossy drama set in Monterey Bay despite its vacuous moneyed world, noting a truthful ring of quiet desperation beneath the lifestyle soap elements and strong performances. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/big-little-lies-meet-the-lords-5pm0jk8k8) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 7 February 2017. The soapy melodrama is more annoying than entertaining, relying on contrived confrontations, an over-the-top Greek chorus of gossipy parents, and a lack of subtlety or realism despite its marquee cast. It reduces to clichéd rich white people problems badly told. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/hbos-big-little-lies-review-972805/) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★. 16 February 2017. The critic finds the miniseries an easy and engrossing watch thanks to its A-list cast delivering strong performances and Jean-Marc Vallée’s sumptuous direction that creates a dreamlike yet nightmarish world. They single out the compelling exploration of consent, violence, and personal resentments beneath the surface satire of privileged lives. [Read the review](https://collider.com/big-little-lies-review/) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 February 2017. The miniseries succeeds as pointed satire of West Coast wealth and the narcissism of small differences among the rich. It excels by exploring the petty infighting and insecurities of its female characters rather than relying on the murder-mystery hook. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/02/17/tv/big-little-lies-reese-witherspoon-shailene-woodley-ba913a85bf96) --- © 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/tv/big-little-lies.md