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Clarissa

Play trailer Clarissa In Theaters Dec 11 2h 7m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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95% Tomatometer 20 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Verified Ratings
Clarissa follows society woman Clarissa (Sophie Okonedo) 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.
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Cast & Crew

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Arie Esiri

Director

Chuko Esiri

Director

David Oyelowo

Actor

Sophie Okonedo

Actor

Ayo Edebiri

Actor

India Amarteifio

Actor

Critics Reviews

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Anzhe Zhang Slant Magazine 6 days ago
2.5/4
It never feels as if the film has given concrete shape to all that was born and died in the gulf between youthful dreams and adult reality. Go to Full Review Siddhant Adlakha Observer Sep 18, 2026
4/4
An invigorating film containing some of the year’s finest cinematic sleight of hand, and its most captivating performances. Go to Full Review Chase Hutchinson TheWrap Aug 24, 2026
"Clarissa," the stellar second film from the directing duo of Arie and Chuko Esiri after they previously made their mark with "Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)," is a work that’s both old and new. Go to Full Review Doug Jamieson The Jam Report Sep 16, 2026
4/5
Led by a luminous performance from Sophie Okonedo, it's passionate, sophisticated, and quietly beguiling cinema. Go to Full Review Rory O'Connor The Film Stage Aug 25, 2026
Okonedo has come to Directors’ Fortnight with another standout turn in Clarissa, a funny and formally adventurous adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway set in modern-day Nigeria. Go to Full Review James Mottram Radio Times Jul 20, 2026
4/5
If the side-story about a young, traumatised soldier doesn't quite work, it's a minor misstep in a film that sees Okonedo give an imperious turn as a woman haunted by choices she made at life's crucial crossroads. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

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Clarissa

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Movie Info

Synopsis Clarissa follows society woman Clarissa (Sophie Okonedo) 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.
Director
Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri
Producer
Arie Esiri, Chuko Esiri, Theresa Park, Nicholas Weinstock
Screenwriter
Chuko Esiri, Virginia Woolf
Distributor
NEON
Production Co
Neon, Invention Studios, Per Capita Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 11, 2026, Limited
Runtime
2h 7m
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