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Critic Reviews
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The series is chock-full of instantly iconic, resonating moments, stories, and filmmaking craft.
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Little America, a beautifully crafted new anthology on Apple TV+, takes the emotion and noise out of one of our most contentious political topics — immigration — and replaces it with poetry, humor, and the compelling stories of ordinary people seeking a better life in these United States.
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Although each finely crafted, beautifully filmed, well-photographed vignette naturally touches on hot-button social circumstances and issues, “Little America” is hardly some overwrought piece of propaganda advocating extreme takes on either side of the political spectrum. It’s far too nuanced and complex and sophisticated for that. It’s also funny as hell at times, and filled with memorable portraits.
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The result is a series of heartfelt stories, as uplifting as they are tearjerking. And, though it’s early, the opening credits are among the most fun and inspired of the year.
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Every lithe episode is unique and hums with a different tone from one to the next, making this season a thematic quilt as opposed to one bolt of cloth. ... In its execution "Little America" makes a case for, if not fitting in, at least finding a place for one's self and one's culture. It comes by this message honestly, too; every episode brims with a purposeful joy although a few of them aren't entirely happy tales.
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No two journeys are alike in the smart, nuanced eight-part drama, one of television’s best takes on modern migrant culture. ... The beauty of this production is that it never has to make that point with pro- or anti-immigration rhetoric, or with heavy-handed narratives that pit the huddled masses against a cruel, intolerant establishment. The stories breathe on their own.
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It's THE reason to throw down five bucks for an Apple TV+ subscription. Each episode of Little America is based on a true story of an immigrant to the United States, and retold in a 30-minute block of inspiring, unwavering humanity filled with hope, humor, and joy.
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It is the delicate truth of the storytelling here that makes this anthology series stand out. It is moving without ever manipulative, a show that finds narrative power through being honest. ... This is the rare anthology series in which every single chapter has something worthwhile.
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None of the stories in Little America — which counts among its executive producers Master of None co-creator Alan Yang — is as powerful or as perfectly crafted as Lena Waithe's "Thanksgiving," but a couple get mighty close, definitively making this series Apple TV+'s first great show.
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Smart, generous portraits of lives rarely given this much thought by Western entertainment. It’s a great show — easily the best of Apple’s early output.
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At a moment when immigration has become such a polarizing political issue, "Little America" feels like a tonic, one intended to inspire and unabashedly celebrate people who chose to make America their home.
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A lovely and emotive series about the lives of immigrants in America.
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A heartwarming, engaging, and informative season — all by focusing on story first, rather than famous faces or bottom lines. ... It may not make the biggest splash in today’s crowded TV market, but Apple subscribers are finally getting the quality promised a few months ago.
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The show undeniably stands out as Apple’s most inspired offering thus far.
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It’s a funny and bittersweet series, at once refreshing and achingly familiar—if at times a bit discomfiting in its careful avoidance of the uglier realities of living as a working-class immigrant in America.
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All eight stories successfully straddle many fine lines. They are fleet – just half an hour long – without being insubstantial; uplifting without being schmaltzy; inspirational without being cringe-making. They don’t offer direct commentary on current US and others’ attitudes towards immigration, but they don’t need to.
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There are eight half-hour episodes. Their scope is modest. The stories, which are sometimes delightful and sometimes tragic, are about relatively everyday lives. The show is beautiful.
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The individual stories are short and pithy. (One, set at a silent meditation retreat, feels like an extended setup for a punch line.) But collectively, the show’s understanding of the immigrant experience is complex and nuanced.
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On one hand, it sometimes feels disjointed going from one tale to the next, which makes sense given that the show passes the creative baton every half-hour. On the other, letting another writer or director tackle the material means that even if one episode stumbles, the next is, quite literally, another story entirely. ... “Little America” is a thoughtful show, made with evident care and consideration for doing justice to the heritages depicted.
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For the most part, these vignettes are thoughtfully and pleasingly rendered here. But there is, at the same time, something too uniform about them, a predetermined style of grace, ... which tends to undermine the goal of authenticity. The stories have been hammered into the same shape so that they are broadly satisfying and mainly cheerful, leaving little room for surprise or outrage or any other emotion that might overly complicate the structure.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 19 out of 34
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Mixed: 5 out of 34
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Negative: 10 out of 34
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Jan 22, 2020When the photos of the real people are revealed at the end, your heart swells. This is great TV.
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Jan 20, 2020This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view.
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Jun 10, 2020Love the idea of the show and for the most part it was executed well, but not every episode hit as strong. Still a great show nonetheless.