Drama – The Reviews

by Ken Bakely

These are my reviews of all five entries in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe, a five-part anthology about the West Indian community in London during the 1970s and ’80s. The series is available in the United States through Amazon Prime, and in the United Kingdom through the BBC iPlayer service.

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The Reviews

Pig – Review

“Though it does not traverse as far as it could, there’s never a moment when it loses its sobering, evocative underlying vision.”

Dream Horse – Review

“Engaging, if overly complacent.”

Little Fish – Review

“A potent emotional experience at its strongest, and yet one where there’s seemingly something missing that would connect all the pieces together at its less accomplished.“

I’m Your Woman – Review

“This is a meticulous and wise film, which simultaneously references and critiques the movies and stories that serve as its influences.”

Minari – Review

“A remarkably realized story that practically glows with thoughtfulness and care.”

Martin Eden – Review

“A gorgeously, densely textured achievement.”

Small Axe – Reviews

Nomadland – Review

“It’s a bold movie: confident in its reach, straightforward in its observations of endurance, and generous in its sense of exploration.”

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Review

“While the movie does its best to create a reenactment with its gaze turned firmly towards the present, it can’t really figure out how to connect its ideas when it matters the most.”

First Cow — Review

“A truly engaging and rewarding film, intricately layered and executed with extraordinary detail and care.”