---
title: "Pink Flamingos: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/pink-flamingos/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/pink-flamingos"
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 9
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."
---

# Pink Flamingos (1972): what the critics said

Critics' score 66 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics respond positively to Pink Flamingos, with praise centred on Waters’s ability to make deliberate bad taste funny rather than merely shocking. The favourable reviews admire its audacity, comic invention and willingness to provoke, with several arguing that its humour remains effective despite, or because of, the repellent material. The use of music also earns attention for making an obscene scene into a pointed comic set piece.

The spread is wide, however, and the central disagreement is over whether the disgust produces enough comedy to justify itself. Time Out stresses the succession of deliberately disgusting gags, while Variety condemns both the material and the poor cinematography. The Los Angeles Times rejects claims of groundbreaking filmmaking and finds the execution technically inept, but still praises Divine’s larger-than-life performance and the cast’s camaraderie.

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 5/5. 

Jones presents the film as a gleefully outrageous celebration of bad taste. He singles out its shocking set pieces and Divine’s infamous finale as hallmarks of Waters’s comic provocation.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-n7dvob/pink-flamingos/)

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Rating 4.5/5. 21 June 2022. 

Henderson praises Criterion’s definitive release of Waters’s landmark film. He singles out the restoration’s vivid image and deliberately rough, faithful sound.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/pink-flamingos-blu-ray-review-john-waters/)

## Empire — Christopher Hemblade

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The review finds the film audacious, funny and influential. It particularly praises Waters’ ability to make its provocative bad taste shake up cinema.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pink-flamingos-review/)

## The AV Club — Keith Phipps

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. 

Phipps finds the film as funny as it is deliberately repellent, and says its bad taste remains relevant. He singles out the comic genius of setting an obscene scene to “Surfin’ Bird.”

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/pink-flamingos-1798196051)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint can be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pink-flamingos-1997)

## Time Out — VG

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review presents the film as an exercise in deliberately appalling taste, warning that it is not for sensitive viewers. Its main complaint is the series of deliberately disgusting gags.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/pink-flamingos)

## Los Angeles Times — MARK CHALON SMITH

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 April 1992. 

The critic sees the film as a crude, technically inept novelty rather than the groundbreaking work some claim. Divine’s larger-than-life performance and the cast’s camaraderie earn praise amid the criticism.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-02-ol-91-story.html)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1973. 

The critic gives the film a scathing verdict, calling it vile, stupid, and repulsive. They single out its poor cinematography and grotesque coprophagy scene as complaints.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1973/film/reviews/pink-flamingos-1200423192/)

## Eye for Film — Chris

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2007. 

The critic finds the film uproariously funny and entertaining, calling it a classic. They praise its original, skilful execution of its deliberately outrageous material.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/pink-flamingos-film-review-by-chris)

---
© 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/pink-flamingos.md