C.O.G.

2013

C.O.G.

Critics Consensus

C.O.G.'s plot is a bit meandering, but the characters are always compelling and the ending is richly rewarding.

68%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 34

35%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 4,955

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Movie Info

In the first ever film adaptation of David Sedaris' work, a cocky young man travels to Oregon to work at an apple farm. Out of his element, his lifestyle and notions are picked apart by everyone who crosses his path. (c) Official Site

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Cast

Jonathan Groff
as Samuel
Denis O'Hare
as Jon
Casey Wilson
as Martha
Corey Stoll
as Curly
Dean Stockwell
as Hobbs
Troian Bellisario
as Jennifer
Dale Dickey
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Critic Reviews for C.O.G.

All Critics (34) | Top Critics (15)

  • Modest and good-looking, the film starts as dark comedy and ends in pathos. Director Alvarez makes the Oregon scenery a character unto itself.

    Sep 20, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4

    Michael Phillips

    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic

  • People who approach it as a film in its own right, with its own rhythms and goals and pleasures, will be amply rewarded.

    Sep 20, 2013 | Full Review…

    Dan Callahan

    RogerEbert.com
    Top Critic

  • Despite smatterings of wit and a stable of skilled performers, "C.O.G." struggles to find a consistent tone, its episodic structure veering from farcical to poignant to dangerously raw.

    Sep 19, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/5

    Jeannette Catsoulis

    New York Times
    Top Critic

  • a dramedy that keeps you guessing where the main character is going (emotionally and physically) as he drifts from one odd situation to the next.

    Sep 19, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    David Lewis

    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic

  • The film features snappy, hilarious bits among the coming-of-age vignettes, but it loses momentum as it winds toward a finish. You won't grow bored with the characters, but you might check your watch a few times.

    Sep 19, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

    Randy Cordova

    Arizona Republic
    Top Critic

  • For Sedaris fans, "C.O.G." is a regrettably patronizing washout.

    Sep 19, 2013 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Robert Abele

    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (34)

Audience Reviews for C.O.G.

  • May 17, 2015
    David and all the characters that came his way were all pretty intriguing, and that was enough to make C.O.G. worth the watch until the end. The ending was also surprising as I didn't saw it coming and there couldn't be a better one. This film also reminded me of the short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" though it isn't connected to the film in any way.
    Maymay A Super Reviewer
  • Feb 12, 2015
    There are three reasons you would want to watch this film: 1. the main character is played by the very talented Jonathan Groff of Broadway and "Glee" fame. 2. You love the prose of David Sedaris, and seeing as how this film is based off of one of his essays, you are swooning in happiness that this film exists. 3. You love both, like I do. Read more at http://www.bluefairyblog.com/reviews/2015/4/8/cog
    Spencer S Super Reviewer
  • Dec 16, 2014
    The awful score is so off-putting and the film unapologetically ambiguous about its intentions (which are never made exactly clear), as though just to place Groff's character from HBO TV series Looking - cocky, awkward and easily intimidated - in this sort of situation and not go anywhere from there.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 11, 2013
    It's hard to approach a film like C.O.G. in an unbiased manner when you're a David Sedaris fan. Actually, scratch that, it's entirely impossible. When the film uses dialog straight out of the short story repeatedly--especially the wittiest and most moving sections--it honestly feels like reliving the story. This creates both positive and negative aspects for C.O.G. It's absolutely brilliant being able to put a face to the names, the dialog, the series of events, and experience the story as a film. Fans will adore it, because it's fairly impossible not to if you've read Naked. However, therein lies the downfall of C.O.G. It feels like a film that exists solely for fans who have read the story. You know exactly what's going through David's mind in certain sections of the film and it becomes clear that a lot of it will go over the heads of movie-goers expecting a witty, indie comedy. C.O.G. travels more into the black dramedy genre more than anything, and even at that, it's hard to give it much recognition as a success as a film or an adaption. Yes, it's beautifully cinematic, fantastically entertaining, and Jonathan Groff is a wholly believe and incredibly likable David Sedaris. However, when adapting anything by a profoundly intellectual writer such as Sedaris, a film is always going to pale in comparison.
    DA Z Super Reviewer
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