Every Steve McQueen Movie Ranked Worst To Best

2. Lovers Rock (2020)

12 Years A Slave
BBC

As great as 12 Years A Slave is, it can't quite compete with the joyous wonder of Small Axe's second instalment Lovers Rock.

At once a wondrous ode to Black culture and a lovely examination of human interconnectedness through music, the 68-minute drama follows two partygoers (Amara-Jae St. Aubyn and Michael Ward) who meet at a house party in 80s London and spark a romance whilst the party powers on around them.

Of all the instalments in the Small Axe anthology, Lovers Rock - with its thumping music, community spirit, romance and delightful characters - is the most accessible and hopeful of them all. Low on dialogue and plot as it may be, watching it makes for one of the most enrapturing cinematic experiences you're ever likely to find.

In fact, it's so good that it would be Steve McQueen's #1 movie, were it not for one other Small Axe masterclass...

Contributor

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