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Clarissa

Clarissa

Riverside Studios, Queen Caroline Street 101, W6 9BN London, Hammersmith

Clarissa

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About

Clarissa is a drama that had its premiere in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. It is a modern-day, Lagos-set adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, made by directors Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri and starring Sophie Okonedo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ayo Edebiri and David Oyelowo. The film follows society woman Clarissa as she prepares to host a party at her home in Lagos, Nigeria, where she will unexpectedly encounter once-intimate friends from her youth. As the group reflects on their shared past over the course of a single night, memories of their intricate relationships, passionate love, hidden desires and lost aspirations give rise to bittersweet reckoning.

Written by a model, sources: riversidestudios.co.uk

Critics

8.0Very good

Critics praise the bold Nigerian reimagining of Woolf's novel, Okonedo's outstanding lead performance, and the delicate handling of memory and colonialism. Some find the contemplative pacing and split-timeline structure occasionally slow or mannered.

Reviews: Loud and Clear Reviews, TheWrap, TMDb

Trailer

Showtimes

Thu 29 Oct

Riverside StudiosQueen Caroline Street 101, W6 9BN London

Venue

Riverside Studios is in London’s Hammersmith.

Queen Caroline Street 101, W6 9BN London

Riverside Studios 19 more events
Director
Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
Year
2026
Runtime
125 min

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