Small Axe (2020)

The review hails Lovers Rock as a galvanizing party movie with one of the best dance parties ever filmed, delivering a sensual, loose, and joyful portrait of Black Londoners at a 1980 house party. It singles out the vibrant dance floor sequences, music, and atmosphere for praise as the standout element of the Small Axe series.

The review praises Mangrove as an essential, galvanizing start to the Small Axe anthology, handling its story of the Mangrove Nine with complexity and specificity while avoiding inspiration porn. It singles out the strong performances, particularly Letitia Wright and Malachi Kirby, and McQueen's careful mapping of the road to the courtroom climax for praise.

The critic praises Steve McQueen's five-part anthology for finally dramatizing overlooked histories of Britain's Caribbean community with luminous performances and nuanced representation. They single out the Mangrove episode's tense courtroom drama and the series' celebration of British-Caribbean culture and music.

The critic commends the film as a powerful response to institutional racism, noting its focus on Black activists' resistance and victory in a landmark trial while providing historical context for the anthology series.

The review calls Small Axe (especially Lovers Rock) a revelation and one of the year's best films, celebrating its transfixing evocation of Black joy, community, and the human body in motion at a house party. It singles out the stunning party sequences, lighting, and a cappella singing of 'Silly Games' for particular praise while contrasting it with the more historical Mangrove.

The second film in McQueen’s Small Axe sequence is almost plotless but its world is so convincingly realised through rich detail and texture that viewers feel they were present at the 1980 house party. Songs drive the film in long roaming takes, highlighting the party as a haven and the redemptive power of music and community.

The critic praises McQueen's unhurried yet propulsive storytelling in this courtroom drama and community portrait, highlighting strong performances especially from Shaun Parkes and the film's ability to balance buoyant community moments with visceral depictions of racism.

The critic calls it a blistering indictment of sanctioned racism, praising the gripping account of the Mangrove Nine trial and its timely relevance to police discrimination.

McQueen concludes his five-part anthology with a focused, economical story of a dyslexic West Indian boy struggling in the school system, drawn from the director's own childhood. The film captures period detail vividly and ends on a note of uplift and hope.

The final instalment of McQueen’s Small Axe anthology is a warm, intimate portrayal of novelist Alex Wheatle’s early life, from a brutal children’s home to finding his identity in Brixton amid riots and imprisonment. It is rich and compelling with a thread of humour, though it feels like only a glimpse at the subject’s life.

Lovers Rock, the second instalment of the Small Axe anthology, creates an immersive, sensual experience of an 1980s West Indian house party with long takes of dancing and an impeccable soundtrack. It lacks much plot or dialogue but succeeds as an intoxicating study of human behaviour and culture.

The critic calls Mangrove a brilliantly directed and superbly performed courtroom drama that powerfully resonates with today's climate of racial injustice. They praise McQueen's ability to bring little-known historical stories to vivid, relevant life.

The critic hails Lovers Rock as an exhilarating triumph and a textured, warm portrait of Black experience and joy in a 1980s house party setting. They single out the silky camerawork and the film's multifaceted depiction of community, romance, and implied structural threats for praise.

The review describes Lovers Rock as an exuberant, swooning mood piece that seduces with waves of joy, sensuality, and fervor during a single-night reggae house party. It singles out the rich tapestry of characters and the film's cinematic tone and atmosphere for praise.

The critic finds Small Axe an absorbing portrait of the West Indian British experience that collapses the personal and the political. She singles out its visual beauty and the way apolitical interludes like Lovers Rock add nuance and stakes to the larger historical stories.