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Kabluey
Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
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  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    The film's distance from factual reality oddly enhances its bleak underlying vision. It portrays a demoralized American work force fearfully going through the motions of life while waiting without much hope for things to get better.
  2. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    75
    Eventually comes into its own as a wacky commentary on the state of America in the fifth year of the Iraq war.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    75
    Groundlings alumnus Prendergast's dark comedy, drawn from on his own family experiences, is firmly rooted in messy, selfish, often-unappealing human behavior rather than self-referential irony and juvenile goofiness.
  4. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    75
    A mordant, almost-too-dark comedy, but a comedy nonetheless.
  5. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    75
    While the film's social-satire elements are flat and overly familiar, its dry absurdity is unmistakably Lynchian.
  6. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Stephen Farber
    70
    The film is an ambitious mix of slapstick, black comedy and stinging social commentary.
  7. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    70
    Catches the nation's mood of economic anxiety and workplace exploitation more pungently than anything else in theaters.
  8. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    63
    Strange and quirky.
  9. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    50
    A dark piece of whimsy that enchants and befuddles in equal measure.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    50
    Kabluey is short on the cutes and ca-ca jokes. But it's also short on substance, despite a watchable supporting cast and an amiable overall tenor.
  11. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Josh Rosenblatt
    30
    Quirky and undisturbed, unaffected and unaffecting.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. JayH.
    7
    A bit too quirky, especially the first half. Scott Prendergast is terrific, but it's Conchata Ferrell that steals the show. Stylishly directed, well written.… Full Review »
  2. CharlesP.
    8
    Very funy - will no doubt develop a cult following on dvd. Lisa Kudrow and Conchata Ferrell are both excellent! Quirky, charming and sincere film!
  3. MarkC.
    9
    Prendergast's triumph in KABLUEY is that his chief character, Salman, yet another young lost soul (i.e., slacker, boy-in-man's-clothing, etc.) is 1. clearly aware that he's lost, 2. clearly knows the difference between social rights and social wrongs, and 3. when push comes to shove, is capable of acting to defend those whose moral compass is not as strong as his. That's Prendergast the screenwriter. Prendergast the director has an incredible eye for visual images that convey and amplify Salman's condition in a very absurdist -- and funny -- manner. I'm reminded of the early work of Buster Keaton, where absurdity and Keaton's world-weary look managed to connect inner pain to laugh-out-loud crazy situations. This is a BIG small film.… Full Review »
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