Saturday Church
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: January 12, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Village VoiceTatiana CraineJan 18, 2018
With Saturday Church, Cardasis has crafted a beautiful story about young, queer people of color championing one another and finding themselves. Read full review
89
Paste MagazineJacob OllerJan 11, 2018
Half musical and half drama, it finds balance in poetic stillness and exuberant motion. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinJan 12, 2018
Sensitively written and directed by Damon Cardasis, the movie is punctuated by an affecting string of musical numbers (Cardasis co-wrote the film's song lyrics with composer Nathan Larson) that deepen and enliven this lovely, vital tale. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJan 11, 2018
Blending sensitive drama with musical fantasy and a heart worn unapologetically on its sleeve, Saturday Church is a modest charmer that plays almost like a narrative response to last year's feature documentary Kiki, about the New York voguing scene. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeJan 11, 2018
The movie’s not only appropriate for teen audiences, but also constructive in the way it invites viewers to consider and discuss issues of intolerance and hypocrisy, even as it encourages those who don’t fit the straight, marriage-oriented paradigm to embrace their own identities. Read full review
80
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJan 11, 2018
It is a disarmingly and consistently sensitive movie that remains engaging even when its reach sometimes exceeds its grasp. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartJan 15, 2018
Under the generous debut direction of Damon Cardasis, there’s enough heart and raw truth here to uplift the moments that falter. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyJan 12, 2018
A sweet film with a purity of purpose and intent, elevating it above other films portraying similar struggles. Read full review
67
The PlaylistLena WilsonJan 13, 2018
As a film, Saturday Church could so much more, and its disheartening shyness keeps it from achieving greatness. A few choir boys short of a hallelujah, Saturday Church feels more like a subdued sermon. Read full review
58
The Film StageAndrew WardJan 13, 2018
Most admirable in Saturday Church is the palpable level of conviction that the cast and filmmakers give to this story of a queer, marginalized youth. Despite a script that seems to service didacticism over genuinely achieved dramatic moments, you can feel Cardasis’ compassion for his characters and the joy the actors bring to their roles. Read full review
50
TheWrapDan CallahanJan 10, 2018
Cardasis proves that he has some talent for both objectivity and subjectivity, but too often this movie settles for mild good intentions and “you go, girl” fantasy, and there’s little room for those things in the very tough world Cardasis is attempting to portray. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneJan 10, 2018
Writer-director Damon Cardasis follows a rather didactic approach to his 14-year-old's protagonist's plight in Saturday Church. Read full review
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