52
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe New York TimesNeil GenzlingerIt avoids the big confrontation or grand statement; doing so allows it to be an effective, if somewhat uneventful, study of the Brooklyn bubble effect.
- 63RogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaRogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaLittle Boxes doesn’t manage to summon as much unique insight into prejudice as screenwriter Annie Howell and director Ron Meyer probably expected to achieve. But what keeps their movie watchable is that Lynskey, Ellis and Jackson are completely believable as a loving family unit.
- 60VarietyGeoff BerkshireVarietyGeoff BerkshireEven as some of the supporting players and subplots veer toward caricature, the family dynamics at the film’s center remain entirely relatable.
- 60Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshLos Angeles TimesKatie WalshLynskey, Ellis, and Jackson are charming enough to buoy this lightly dramatic tale, but with a laid-back energy the stakes are never quite high enough. “Little Boxes” offers tame social commentary in a pleasant package.
- 58The Film StageJordan RaupThe Film StageJordan RaupDespite the contrived drama surrounding it, this is a refreshingly uncynical portrait of familial strife.
- 58IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichAs knowing and perceptive as Howell’s script can be, it fails to galvanize its most sensitive ideas into compelling drama, and Meyer doesn’t recognize where a spark might be necessary.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyMeyer aims to emulate the jagged freeform jazz that permeates his soundtrack, but this wan indie is strictly middle-of-the-road background music.
- 50Village VoiceAbbey BenderVillage VoiceAbbey BenderWhile racist slights remain unfortunately common, Little Boxes doesn't exactly use them to illuminate the nuances of suburban life.
- Despite its occasional smart commentary, the film offers a limited, one-note response to modern day racism.
- 38Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneThe film's default mode is to lazily skewer suburbanites as cartoonishly privileged yuppies.