72
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 89Paste MagazineJacob OllerPaste MagazineJacob OllerHalf musical and half drama, it finds balance in poetic stillness and exuberant motion.
- 80The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyIt is a disarmingly and consistently sensitive movie that remains engaging even when its reach sometimes exceeds its grasp.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyBlending 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.
- 80VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeThe 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.
- 80Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinSensitively 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.
- 75RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyRogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyA sweet film with a purity of purpose and intent, elevating it above other films portraying similar struggles.
- 67The PlaylistLena WilsonThe PlaylistLena WilsonAs 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.
- 58The Film StageThe Film StageMost 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.
- 50TheWrapDan CallahanTheWrapDan CallahanCardasis 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.
- 38Slant MagazineDiego SemereneSlant MagazineDiego SemereneWriter-director Damon Cardasis follows a rather didactic approach to his 14-year-old's protagonist's plight in Saturday Church.