--- title: "Buffalo '66: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/buffalo-66/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/buffalo-66" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Buffalo '66 (1998): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 11 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative. With only 5 reviews in so far, the consensus leans positive, with praise clustering around Gallo’s rough originality, the mixture of grimness and tenderness, and Ricci’s performance. Critics find personal feeling beneath the eccentric storytelling, though they differ on how much the visual flourishes contribute. Reservations centre on Gallo’s self-indulgence and the credibility of the romance. The Guardian praises the chemistry between Gallo and Ricci; The AV Club finds the relationship contrived and the characters closer to caricatures. The divide is chiefly over whether the emotional connection survives the stylistic display. ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 April 1999. The critic calls it an alarmingly good writer-directorial debut that is disarmingly charming, perceptive, very funny and hugely original, even making the bungled-kidnap plot work. They single out the superb set-pieces and the chemistry between Gallo and Ricci for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian/0,,40780,00.html) ## Film Comment Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The film is an idiosyncratic study in American miserabilism and the redemption of a beautiful loser, destined for cult status. It supplies an antidote to indie film’s fixation on killer couple road films, with a tentative, petrified holding of hands as its most transgressive act. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/sundance-1998-the-hard-way/) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Gallo's directorial debut is an eccentric, provocative comedy that blends a poignant love story with sombre naturalism and surreal musical elements. The critic praises the film's personal, deeply felt story and its innovative, individual film grammar. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/buffalo-66) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 August 1998. The film is an interesting collision of half-baked visual ideas and urgent personal need, with an astonishing performance by Christina Ricci. It features improvisational, unconventional storytelling focused on family wounds and quirky sequences rather than conventional plot payoffs. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/buffalo-66-1998) ## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 July 1998. Gallo's compelling debut as writer-director blends grit and romanticism in a story of an ex-con craving parental approval after prison. It is alternately satirical and romantic, full of pain and humor, with striking images and a terrific instinct for mixing reality and fantasy. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-17-ca-4405-story.html) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 April 1998. Festival review. Gallo's deadpan original mixes pathos with bravado as a volatile ex-con kidnaps a tap dancer to pose as his wife for a nightmarish family visit. Cool stark compositions and a strong cast give the autobiographical film a memorable look despite occasional narrative lulls. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/03/movies/film-festival-review-forever-the-football-fan-mother-benches-her-son.html) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds the film generally enjoyable but faults Vincent Gallo's ego-driven storytelling and the implausible central romance. Flashes of genuine grimness and indie influences are noted as strengths amid the flaws. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/buffalo-66-review/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 April 2002. The critic finds Buffalo '66 an intriguing but ultimately disappointing directorial debut from Vincent Gallo, filled with flashy stylistic touches that outshine its substance. The film is faulted for grotesque caricatures in place of real characters and a thinly realized central relationship that feels contrived. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/buffalo-66-1798196400) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 1998. Festival review. An impressive but irritating first film that exudes honest emotion and ego, with generous acting turns and unexpected humor undermined by digressive and off-putting material. Ricci delivers a standout performance in this sweet-natured low-budgeter that faces obstacles to wider acceptance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/buffalo-66-1200452994/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic finds the film watchable thanks to Gallo's energy, Ricci's sweetness, lively dialogue and its rough originality, despite being far from flawless. It has a unique quality and a blazing impact as a fable about dysfunctional characters seeking love. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/buffalo-66-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Collider — Gabriela Silva Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2025. The critic highlights the film as an overlooked late-'90s dramedy that deserves more attention for its raw emotional depth. They single out Christina Ricci's understated, empathetic performance as Layla for providing the story's emotional anchor and chemistry with Gallo's chaotic lead. [Read the review](https://collider.com/buffalo-66-christina-ricci-dramedy/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/buffalo-66.md