Nicola Peltz Beckham’s new movie has been slammed by critics, who have branded her directorial debut Lola as “poverty porn”.
Nicola, 29, who married Brooklyn Beckham in a lavish $3m wedding in 2022, wrote and directed the film, in which she also plays the protagonist. But it’s been called “tone deaf” by movie critics, who say the film is packed with “lazy” stereotypes and is an exploitation of the struggles of the working class.
In Lola, which at the time of writing has a 3.9 rating on IMDB, billionaire heiress Peltz Beckham plays the titular character – a young woman who is trying to save enough money to get her queer little brother out of the toxic family home, where he is bullied by their god-fearing, alcoholic mother.
Lola is accused of portraying “poverty porn” (
Image:
Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
But realising her drug store job doesn’t earn enough to do so, main character Lola turns to stripping. In a continuation of the theme of tired cliches, she starts taking drugs, before becoming a teenage mum – with one critic suggesting the stereotypes border on “harmful”. The “out of touch” themes involving issues around poverty have lead critics to slate the movie, which was released on February 9.
“Lola doesn’t even deserve the hate-watch indulgence that Madame Web received,” Kady Ruth Ashcraft writes in the Guardian. “Filled to the brim with underbaked, oftentimes harmful tropes – the supportive Black best friend, a queer child meeting an unceremonious death, the virginal stripper saved by motherhood, a hypocritical Christian drunk – the film leaves one wondering what could have been achieved if any of these characters or their storylines were given as much attention as the gaffers paid to the light hitting Peltz Beckham’s cheekbones.”
“Rich people always do this in an attempt to alleviate their privilege and they fail each and every time,” one Twitter (X) user wrote in response to Ashcraft’s review of Lola, with another asking: “Why do they always pick this subject…” A third wrote: “This sounds like a film school thesis.”
Lola is Nicola’s directorial debut (
Image:
Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
While making the film, Nicola had to make the directorial decision to pull her husband Brooklyn’s one and only line, after realising his acting skills weren’t up to her standards. According to Nicola, Brooklyn was left “upset” when she broke the news to him that he wouldn’t be making an appearance in her new project.
Lifting the lid on why Brooklyn’s small scene was scrapped, Nicola told The Hollywood Reporter: “Brooklyn is actually really upset that he did get cut from his one little cameo. He had one line, ‘Hi’, but he kept saying it in a British accent and he was staring directly into the camera. I was like, oh God, we have to move on, good lord.
“So, Brooklyn ended up on the chopping block. But I couldn’t have done any of this without him because he was such a massive support to me every day on set which I’m so appreciative of.” And although Brooklyn’s chances of being a Hollywood actor may have been scuppered for now, he’s shown unwavering support for his wife.
Gushing over her talents in a doting Instagram post after the premiere of Lola, he wrote: “WOW what a night, Nicola I am so proud of you, you have worked so hard on this and it couldn’t of [sic] turned out more perfect. I love you so much.”
Nicola, who wrote, directed, and starred in the independent film, was supported by Brooklyn’s famous parents, Victoria and David Beckham, who attended the premiere and posed in snaps alongside the couple, as well as Brooklyn’s brothers Romeo and Cruz. After the premiere, Victoria took to Instagram to write: “Nicola, we could not be more proud of you! Congratulations on your incredible film, Lola. officially in theatres February 9th! Kisses.”
