Little (2019) Film Review

Image: Universal Pictures Australia

Being trapped in the wrong body isn’t anything new in recent years, but with each new metamorphosis that Hollywood presents, there is always a unique take on the perspective changing story. Tom Hanks was a little kid trapped in an adult’s body in Big,  and Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee-Curtis were forced to work on their troubled mother-daughter relationship in Freaky Friday .  Body swapping in Little  is the ultimate revenge for successful but exceptionally awful tech entrepreneur Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall-Girls Trip),  whose unreasonable demands of her company and assistant April (Issa Rae) push her into the path of a cheeky little girl. In a scene that almost mirrors Dan Devito’s “I’m big, you’re little, I’m smart your dumb” rant to Mara Wilson in Matilda,  she naively berates a little girl for getting in her way at the office. Waving her magic wand, the little girl bestows a simple yet effective curse on Jordan, wishing she were “little.” In almost no time at all, the imposing, heel statured girl boss is a little girl for real as she wakes up sans weave, sans 20/20 vision and sans her “yoga and squats” body.

Before anyone can call child services, loyal April arrives at the apartment, confused at the afro do’, dorky glasses and oversized clothing that has inhibited her boss’s body, but it’s overtly clear that her sass and chide are very much intact. Blackmailing her into attending school, April must prepare a pitch in Jordan’s absence for a restless client or face the company folding. In a hilarious scene, April attempts to scold Jordan for her childish behaviour in the school carpark, resorting to corporal punishment or what a security guard dubs a “BMW-Black Momma Whooping.” All the bravado belies a traumatic, nerdy prior experience of middle school that has the woman with everything at her command relegated to the social outcasts who battle their own feelings of isolation and inadequacy.

There are minors here after all, and their determination to beat the drudgery of being unpopular is imbued in the upcoming pep rally of the school, which little Jordan fears will unlock her own personal experiences of being ridiculed. As little Jordan tries to reconcile her abominable behaviour towards others with her own experiences of feeling belittled and small by her peers, we see some honest, heartfelt admissions about the abandonment of one’s true self over conformity to expectations to hustle and get ahead. The tone of the movie isn’t so serious at the risk of becoming preachy, as there are enough sweets and treats to play up the confusion each character experiences towards the little Jordan, particularly when her lover sneaks into her apartment and inadvertently believes he has scandalised a child with his suggestive moves. Sexual tension is further explored when younger Jordan realises she is hot for teacher, and he has to ignore her advances. In the era of #metoo, it’s especially timely.

Director Tina Gordon has forayed into witty roles for women before, having written the screenplay for What Men Want  and showcasing the talent of all three leads, whether it’s Marsai Martin as the too big for her boots girl, or Regina Hall as the nightmarish yet vulnerable adult who terrorises the patient but feisty Issa Rae. The soundtrack and score of the movie are funky and upbeat, reflecting the concrete playground of New York City and the restless energy that unfolds when a child dare explore its boundaries.

Whether you’re supervised or watching this movie independently, it’s worth unlocking the inner child in you.

Verdict: 7/10

Universal Pictures Australia

About The Author

Shahbaz Malik

See author's posts