Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Tori and Lokita Blu-ray Movie Review

Two against the world.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 21, 2024

Filmmaking brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne continue their ongoing five-decade career with Tori and Lokita, a gripping 2022 human drama that neatly ties into their earlier documentary work. Starring two first-time child actors and framed by an ever-present but unintrusive visual style, it feels somewhat unfinished in the home stretch but is so compelling that it's almost impossible to dislike. Brought to domestic Blu-ray by Criterion under their budget-friendly "Janus Contemporaries" line (see also EO and No Bears), it's as good an import as I've seen in recent years.

Tori and Lokita absolutely commits to its insular narrative by following its title characters, respectively 12 and 17-year old African immigrants (played by Pablo Schils and Mbundu Joely, both newcomers) who are just barely squeaking by in Belgium as they try to navigate their daily lives with virtually no support system. It's established early on that they're only pretending to be siblings but actually met on the boat ride over, and her failed interview has left Lokita unable to secure proper paperwork. There are almost no remnants of a typical childhood here: working as drug dealers for chef Betim (Alban Ukaj) at a run-down local restaurant, they're able to make just enough money to survive and even send back the rest to their parents back home. Sadly, they're exploited on multiple levels: as low-level employees, Tori and Lokita's compensation for illegal work is startlingly low, and she's also solicited by Betim for extra cash. Two adults running their group home also skim their profits, as does the man who smuggled them into the country.

Lokita's paperwork issues soon prove insurmountable, leading to a change in scenery as she's basically forced to work in a remote makeshift marijuana growing facility managed by terse young Luckas (Tijmen Govaerts), who gives her a quick job overview before showing Lokita her prison-like quarters. Despite the "benefits" of modest pay, meager meals, and housing, there's one pretty big stipulation: she's not allowed to use her phone and is thus completely cut off from Tori, who continues to work for Betim but in a slightly more legal capacity. Naturally, the resourceful young boy finds his way to her, as the otherwise stalwart Lokita desperately needs regular contact with her "little brother".

Things get better before they get much, much worse for the pair, setting up a suspenseful climax that sees Tori and Lokita using every bit of their considerable street smarts to try and escape their situation. Through it all it's very clear that their only solace is each other, as the mostly cruel outside world treats them more like meat for the grinder. It's a sobering experience and one that's appropriately uplifting and heartbreaking exactly where it needs to be, with both rock-solid lead performances carrying almost all of Tori and Lokita's considerable emotional weight.

A five or ten-minute epilogue would've pushed Tori and Lokita into even higher territory; I've no real issues with what happens from a narrative perspective during its climax because everything feels realistic, but the film just sort of flatly closes with a disappointingly short coda that leaves several threads dangling. Given the nature of its main characters' journey it can't help but feel like the film owes us a little more, yet as a whole Tori and Lokita easily falls into four-star territory for its terrific lead performances, gripping narrative, and commitment to realism in unusual circumstances. Then again, late critic Roger Ebert's quote "No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough" may as well apply here; I'd prefer a great story like this to be slightly unfinished than to wear out its welcome.

Tori and Lokita Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The digitally-shot Tori and Lokita looks quite pleasing on Blu-ray from Criterion, cleanly encoded on a dual-layered (50GB) disc that doesn't seem to suffer from any obvious compression issues save for trace amounts of black crush. The film's documentary-style cinematography, almost fully hand-held, was all shot entirely on location with what looks to be a minimum of added light, with a "no-style" style that seems at once deliberate without being flashy. These are mostly grim surroundings -- a dingy restaurant kitchen, back alleys, a makeshift marijuana garden built in a remote warehouse -- and are appropriately rendered on this 1080p transfer, one that favors a natural color palette no matter the location. Fine detail and textures are quite pleasing under the right circumstances, shadow detail is limited but largely precise, and overall it's a sturdy presentation that suits its subject matter just about perfectly.

Tori and Lokita Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, presented in its original French with optional English subtitles, likewise aims for realism from top to bottom: dialogue is mostly crisp and almost always placed squarely up front, there's a distinct lack of non-diegetic music (aside for the end credits), and surrounds are almost always reserved for background ambience, echoes, and rare crowded conversations. Within those limited boundaries it's about as good an audio presentation as can be expected -- again, not flashy or even stylish in any obvious way, but still just about perfect for this type of subject matter and capably ported over to this lossless surround track with no issues to speak of.

Tori and Lokita Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in Criterion's typical clear stocky keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and a folded insert with a brief essay by film critic Michael Joshua Rowin. Think of it as a slightly stripped-down version of their usual output, which applies to the slim but appreciated bonus features as well.

• Meet the Filmmakers (23:54) - Writers / directors Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne speak candidly about the film's inception and development, starting with its very humble beginnings from the foundation of a completely different script built in the style of their earlier documentary work. As it moves into more traditional territory like the finished script, casting, and of course production, this piece remains solidly compelling as an overview of not just Tori and Lokita but as a mini-career retrospective as well. In French with optional English subtitles.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:02) - In French with optional English subtitles.

Tori and Lokita Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne's Tori and Lokita is an engaging human drama with two fine leads, an urgent narrative, and a memorable atmosphere that favors realism in unusual circumstances. While the final stretch and epilogue both feel somewhat unfinished, what comes before is so emotionally compelling and capably executed that it'll undoubtedly impress first-time viewers. Criterion's Blu-ray package (under their budget-friendly "Janus Contemporaries" line) is solid and will therefore make it an easy purchase for any and all interested parties. Firmly Recommended.