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Virginia Woolf is one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and a leading figure in the modernist literary movement. Her 1925 novel Mrs. Dalloway serves as the basis for the upcoming film Clarissa. Directed by Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri, Clarissa is a modern-day adaptation that moves the story to Lagos, Nigeria. The film premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival and received highly positive reviews.
Neon has released the first full trailer for Clarissa, which emphasizes the film critical acclaim. The movie follows Clarissa across two timelines, with the present-day version played by Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda) and the younger self played by India Amarteifio (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story). Clarissa explores the title character’s complicated relationship with her former lover, Peter, and her estranged friend, Sally, played in the present-day story by David Oyelowo (Selma) and Nikki Amuka-Bird (Knock at the Cabin), respectively. Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso) and Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) play the younger versions of Peter and Sally, respectively.
Clarissa premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2026. It earned rave reviews from critics, with Clarissa sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 20 reviews. Writing for The Observer, Siddhant Adlakha gave the film a 4/4 and called Clarissa “An invigorating film containing some of the year’s finest cinematic sleight of hand, and its most captivating performances.” Lovia Gyarkye for The Hollywood Reporter said, “For all the ways [Virginia Woolf] sharply articulated the oppressed condition of women, she also relied on a colonial framework and deployed racist tropes. A sly achievement of Clarissa is in how it not only acknowledges this history, but upends it too.”
Clarissa is currently set for limited release on Dec. 11, 2026. It will open opposite two other potential award contenders: A24’s The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, and Netflix’s Ink, starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy. All three films open one week before the box office showdown between Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three on December 18.
Even if Clarissa isn’t on everyone’s Oscar radar, it could become an unexpected contender as voting gets closer. Strong word of mouth, coupled with an award-season-friendly release date, gives Clarissa a strong chance in the competitive race. Neon has a stacked slate of potential Oscar frontrunners, including the 2026 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Fjord and the highly anticipated Artificial. Yet Clarissa shouldn’t be overlooked.
