60
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeThe 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.
- 75Miami HeraldRene RodriguezMiami HeraldRene RodriguezThe wonderfully sad, exhilarating ending proves this filmmaker knew exactly where he was headed the entire time.
- 70The DissolveNick SchagerThe DissolveNick SchagerThe film strikes a fine balance between hilarity and heartbreak.
- 67The PlaylistCory EverettThe PlaylistCory EverettAs a standalone feature, it feels like there’s not quite enough there.
- 60Time OutEric HynesTime OutEric HynesAn 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.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyIt’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.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineAs 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.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceWhat was very funny in print becomes serious and occasionally dour onscreen, with fewer laughs than you would expect from a Sedaris project.
- 30Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleFor Sedaris fans, C.O.G. is a regrettably patronizing washout.