Critic Reviews

Vibrantly felt yet impressively controlled — and blessed with a stone-cold stunner of a central performance — The Little Sister is indeed an instant classic of the genre, as moving in its humanism as it is sexy.

There is a tender exuberance to “The Little Sister,” which renders Fatima’s development from an uncertain, sullen high school student into a more confident young woman as just one step on a journey.

As a storyteller, writer-director Hafsia Herzi is not coy, but she’s careful, allowing intimacy to emerge with the same tentativeness as it does for Fatima.

As a genre, “The Little Sister” is a psychological thriller, even a film noir: a tale of a double life, which Herzi constructs with a watchmaker’s precision and an analytical clarity that distinguishes Melliti’s starring performance all the more.

Despite the character’s rocky path to sexual awakening, Herzi navigates toward a hopeful conclusion that doesn’t peddle phony uplift.

The emotions run the gamut, and Melliti imbues an authenticity to each one as her world spins between the dueling halves of her character’s identity.

Herzi takes great interest in the moments when Fatima’s mask slips slightly, allowing these instances to reach for something so real that it delivers a palpable fright to her protagonist’s core.

Sensitive and empathetic but a little timid in storytelling and style, The Little Sister rests considerably on its lead performance by first-time actor Nadia Melliti.

Together, Melliti and Herzi find a rare alchemy between actor and director telling someone else’s story, but one that may turn out to be a bit of each other’s own.

Herzi’s directing skills have showcased her talented cast. Her slick aesthetic has given the tale a needed polish. But will the rest of it stay with you? For someone, somewhere, in a similar situation, if they can find a way to see it, it no doubt will.