79
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeThe Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyePunchy delivery styles, shimmering personalities and kaleidoscopic perspectives make up the soul of D. Smith’s gutsy documentary Kokomo City
- 84Paste MagazineJacob OllerPaste MagazineJacob OllerHilarious, scary, tragic and sometimes flat-out jaw-dropping, Kokomo City is a gripping and accessible dissection of modern life, told through a brutally specific point of view.
- 80VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeThe questions may not be pre-approved by GLAAD, but they’re coming from a trans woman actively working against the usual feel-good talking points; the responses she gets are frank, funny and frequently shocking.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreKokomo City is eye-and-ear-opening and mind-expanding and easily the most colorful black and white documentary you’re going to see this year. Guaranteed.
- 75Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayKokomo City, D. Smith’s impressive debut documentary about Black trans sex workers, arrives in time to be an audacious, endearing, illuminating, often amusingly ribald primer.
- 70Screen DailyAmber WilkinsonScreen DailyAmber WilkinsonAs with a lot of first-time feature filmmakers, Smith shows a tendency to want to throw everything a her film stylistically – including, at one point, the random use of bright yellow subtitles – which makes certain sections feel unnecessarily skittish.
- 70The New York TimesTeo BugbeeThe New York TimesTeo BugbeeMost important, Daniella, Koko, Liyah and Dominique provide a record of their own extraordinary lives, one that resonates with clarity and compassion.
- 67The PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe PlaylistGregory EllwoodThe subjects of Kokomo City are quote machines, but their strength is that they make you listen to what they are actually saying and digest their opinions. Oh, no, they are not just here to entertain you. Points will be made.
- 63Slant MagazineDiego SemereneSlant MagazineDiego SemereneThe film’s most significant accomplishment is the mood it crafts with its cool black-and-white images, fast-paced editing, unorthodox camera angles, handheld camera, and overall jazzy atmosphere.