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Tori and Lokita

The 100 Most Anticipated Movies of 2022

Tori et Lokita

2022

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Mbundu Joely, Pablo Schils, Alban Ukaj, Tijmen Govaerts ...

7.0

1,350

Drama Tori et Lokita will look back on the friendship uniting two youngsters who have travelled alone from Africa and find themselves contending with the cruel conditions of their exile in Belgium.

	Media	Author	Review
		Jonathan Romney Screendaily	"Moving, politically committed and with an absolute ring of hard-researched reality, this is at the very least their finest since 2011’s 'The Kid With The Bike'"
		Leslie Felperin The Hollywood Reporter	"It works beautifully because, like some clever mousetrap in its own way, every detail, performance and bit of craftsmanship is executed with unfussy perfection"
		Steve Pond The Wrap	"This story of a pair of young immigrants (...) combines the Dardennes’ quiet empathy with some real urgency, In 88 succinct and effective minutes, it sketches a heartbreaking portrait of young refugees"
		Justin Chang Los Angeles Times	"The Dardennes somehow push their way to an impossible state of grace"
		Ben Kenigsberg rogerebert.com	"As dangerous as ['Tori and Lokita']'s ordeal gets, and as powerful and skilled as the filmmaking is, I couldn't shake a feeling that [the film] represents the Dardennes playing it safe"
		Kevin Maher The Times	"It's remarkably assured material, impeccably played and with restless political undercurrents, from two film-makers operating at a seemingly effortless pace (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Owen Gleiberman Variety	"At 88 minutes, 'Tori and Lokita' builds in power without overstaying its welcome. It’s a story one could imagine Vittoria De Sica telling about the age of economic injustice."
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"A plain parable of inequality and injustice (...) The Dardennes are film-makers who believe that cinema should mean something and intervene in the real world (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Iana Murray The Playlist	"[They] are making an impassioned political statement about humanity's deep depravity, but it comes at the expense of the marginalized people it depicts (...) An empathetic film —exploitative might be the better word"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"An irresistible and deeply affecting tale of two West African immigrant adolescents (...) the Dardennes give this the feeling of a suspense thriller"
		David Parkinson Empire	"Meticulously controlled, but simmering with a tension that is suffused with fury, this treatise on dignity and depravity, aspiration and apathy is the Dardennes at their most accusatory and damning (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Maxwell Rabb Chicago Reader	"Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne specialize in social realism, unwaveringly committed to their characters and craft, and 'Tori and Lokita' is no exception"
		Phil de Semlyen Time Out	"Solidarity and mutual support underpin the story (...) The Dardennes pointedly suggest that cruel bureaucracy is only helping to fuel crime and exploitation. You hope the right people are watching (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		David Katz The Film Stage	"It is as consummately made and passionately intended as anything they've done, but the filmmakers can really undermine themselves with choices in plotting"
		David Ehrlich IndieWire	"[It] doesn't harbor any delusions that shining a harsh light on such awful stories will ever be enough to make the world a better place, and yet it leaves us with an indelible glimpse into the darkness that surrounds them"
		Jake Cole Slant	"Hollow in its provocation (...) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"
		Jake Coyle Toronto Star	"A compassionate immigrant drama (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Peter Howell Toronto Star	"This one is a heartbreaker (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Dustin Chang Screen Anarchy	"'Tori and Lokita' hits you hard. It's one of the most brutal and emotionally bare films the Dardennes have ever directed. Mbundu and Schils are terrific as the two young leads"
		James Mottram South China Morning Post	"The result may be low-key, but it's an impressive return to form by the Dardennes, nonetheless (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Donald Clarke Irish Times	"Abrasively moving (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Aurore Engelen Cineuropa	"A dramatic tale, a parable, a humane and societal thriller on the fundamental, economic, social and racial injustices which are at the heart of today's society"

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