C.O.G.
Screen Media Films | Release Date: September 20, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
60
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd Sep 18, 2013
There are some who have complained that C.O.G. ends too abruptly, but it has the bracing, devastating punctuation of a fine short story. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianMarc MohanOct 3, 2013
C.O.G. is probably of the most interest to Sedaris fans curious to see how the humorist’s unique tone translates to film (the answer is moderately well). Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnSep 20, 2013
The curious thing about C.O.G is that it doesn't play like a straightforward adaptation. Much of the mood comes from ingredients that have nothing to do with story or dialogue. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeAug 16, 2013
The source material may be David Sedaris (this marks the first time the essayist has allowed one of his pieces to be adapted), but the tone couldn’t be more Kyle Patrick Alvarez, who once again steers auds to some gloriously uncomfortable places. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comDan CallahanSep 20, 2013
People going to C.O.G. expecting a re-creation of one of Sedaris's reliably uproarious readings of his own material will be disappointed. People who approach it as a film in its own right, with its own rhythms and goals and pleasures, will be amply rewarded. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisSep 19, 2013
Deft director Kyle Patrick Alvarez concocts a subtle brew of sexuality, religion and class that goes down easily, even as the world around Samuel sometimes leaves a bitter taste. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezSep 19, 2013
The wonderfully sad, exhilarating ending proves this filmmaker knew exactly where he was headed the entire time. Read full review
70
The DissolveNick SchagerSep 18, 2013
The film strikes a fine balance between hilarity and heartbreak. Read full review
67
The PlaylistCory EverettSep 17, 2013
As a standalone feature, it feels like there’s not quite enough there. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsSep 22, 2013
Modest and good-looking, the film starts as dark comedy and ends in pathos. Director Alvarez makes the Oregon scenery a character unto itself. Read full review
60
Time OutEric HynesSep 17, 2013
An adaptation of a short story from David Sedaris’s best-selling Naked collection, C.O.G. (short for “Child of God”) struggles from the outset to retain the snap of the NPR favorite’s hyperbolic humor while also grounding it in authenticity—a tonal disconnect that nonetheless serves to destabilize a potentially predictable coming-of-age tale. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKalvin HenelySep 18, 2013
As an adaptation of Davis Sedaris's short essay from his acclaimed 1997 compilation, Naked, it's a letdown, as it doesn't exude the pop of the author's trademark humor. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyAug 16, 2013
It’s not bad, but it’s ineffectual -- shuffling from one semi-satirical vignette to the next and then veering into soul-searching territory while generating only mild engagement. Read full review
40
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisSep 19, 2013
Despite smatterings of wit and a stable of skilled performers, C.O.G. struggles to find a consistent tone, its episodic structure veering from farcical to poignant to dangerously raw. Read full review
40
Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellySep 17, 2013
What was very funny in print becomes serious and occasionally dour onscreen, with fewer laughs than you would expect from a Sedaris project. Read full review
30
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleSep 19, 2013
For Sedaris fans, C.O.G. is a regrettably patronizing washout. Read full review
More From This Movie

60 Critic Reviews

7.4 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL