A highly anticipated viewing out of the 35th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF) for 2026 is the modern adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel “Mrs. Dalloway,” Clarissa. Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri (Arie & Chuko) took on this classic text as their mutual sophomore directorial project. The power of seeing yourself in the material helped Arie and Chuko gain steam, and they soared past expectations and hesitancy in their undertaking. What makes this modern reimagining work in a contemporary Lagos, Nigeria setting is that the material’s themes are intrinsic to the Black diaspora, making it a worldwide phenomenon.

The film follows the novel’s premise: the audience follows a single day in the life of adult Clarissa (Sophie Okonedo) as she prepares for her evening dinner party. As the clock ticks down to the eventual grand gathering, we get glimpses into Clarissa’s past, along with her family and friends. Without prior knowledge of the source material, this may not be the easiest to pick up on, as we are given names to our on-screen characters until a bit into the film, which is a small issue in an otherwise beautiful story. While our main focus is adult Clarissa, her younger half is portrayed by India Amarteifio; Peter (David Oyelowo and Toheeb Jimoh); Sally (Nikki Amuka-Bird and Ayo Edebiri); and Ugo (Danny Sapani and Kehinde Cardoso), older and younger versions respectively. There was great care taken in the casting of the film, which not only paired their physical features together well, but also their acting styles and embodiment of the characters. 

The characters we are shown throughout the film, both in their younger and older selves, are people that everyone can find themselves within, but as stated prior, as a collective whole, the themes at hand are something intrinsic to the Black experience. We are looking at two periods of time dealing with colonialism and how that has impacted their nature and nurture. This was demonstrated so brilliantly by incorporating key flashbacks into the story at what might seem to be abrupt moments, but rather provides a story and insightful background knowledge into what led us to the very instance. 

It is rather reminiscent of growing up in a C.O.G.I.C. Pentecostal Church and the Bishop’s drawn-out lesson supported by the Congregation. Despite that comparison, the film and story at hand are airtight. No screen time or dialogue is wasted, even when it’s a montage of Lagos or a look at the beauty of Nigeria’s nature.

Further embodiment of the Black diaspora is the natural silent killer – masculinity. Black masculinity has rooted itself in many other sectors of life – mental health, sexuality, and general day-to-day living. Upholding the ideals thrust upon by colonialism and slavery and passed down through epigenetics is why it is important to have the mental health storyline intertwined with the Nigerian Army, and why it is important to have a piece of dialogue as strong as, “We all put our great adventures behind us and settle.”

As heavy as the adaptation is in terms of the themes, there is still a lightness to the film. The cinematography is quite delicate; it feels like a summer’s day and night throughout its runtime. Paired with the warm tones on screen, heightened by the 35mm it was filmed in, we also have many soft push-ins and pull-outs of the camera that make you feel as though you are on a stabilizer of a rather rocky ship. 

The costume designer, Eniola Dawodu, tackled the tall order of meeting the demands of two time periods that also incorporate religious dresswear and Lagos-specific formalwear that highlight the indigenous Yoruba group. The costumes enmeshed with the characters and became one, which left the actors to ensure that the characters could be brought to life on screen. While everyone is a class act in this golden line-up of established and up-and-coming Black Hollywood actors, the true capture came from Sophie Okonedo and Ayo Edebiri. 

Okonedo has a way of acting that feels so accessible to her thoughts by way of her facial expression. Not once overdone in a theatrical sense, but we can see the small shift in her smile and the light brighten or dim in her eyes so naturally. Clarissa is someone who is “particular” in her desires, her actions, her needs, and her opinions, all being stated loudly whilst simultaneously not letting anyone around her truly into her mind. Her face is expressive with each word that is passing through her mind despite being a naturally closed-off character. Okonedo personifies those qualities throughout the film that it is hard not to have your breath taken away. 

While Edebiri plays a smaller supporting role, she will not let you count her out. While the other actors are African-British and have a direct line to the accent work needed, Edebiri, a first-generation Black Caribbean and African-American (father from Nigeria and mother from Barbados), brings another perspective to the role, which reinforces my point about the Black diaspora. Edebiri melts into the role so naturally; it is hard to imagine her without a British accent. She brings an effortlessness to this role that we don’t often see her use. While outstanding in projects like The Bear (2022-2026), Bottoms (2023), or a supporting role in Theater Camp (2023), those projects are defined by modern-day American theatrics, and the role of Younger Sally is the complete opposite. My only wish is that Edebiri continues to seek out similar work. 

With the impressive work being done in recent years with modern reimaginings involving a Black lead or Black cast like Hedda (2025), Clarissa shows there is hope for the future to continue expanding into this route of adaptations.

Clarissa is set to have its United States theatrical release on December 11 and is distributed by NEON Rated.

Review Courtesy of Des Mack

Feature Image Credit to NEON