--- title: "Tangerine" year: 2015 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/tangerine" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 22 published: "2026-09-17T08:16:20.460463+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T08:16:21.084626+00:00" region: "US" 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." --- # Tangerine (2015) Directed by Sean Baker · 1h 27m · MPA R · Comedy, Drama **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 86 from 22 reviews *In a sentence:* Christmas Eve is hard enough without having to supervise somebody else’s revenge > Sean Baker’s street comedy is funny, abrasive and well worth the commotion. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor make its friendship convincing, even when the plotting gets a little too tidy. ## Synopsis It is Christmas Eve in Hollywood, and Sin-Dee Rella (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is on a mission of revenge. Her friend and fellow transgender sex worker Alexandra (Mya Taylor) keeps her company as the search carries them through the streets. Meanwhile, Armenian cab driver Razmik (Karren Karagulian) works elsewhere in Los Angeles, with troubles of his own. The quest leaves little room for anybody else’s concerns. Along the West Hollywood strip, the two friends have to deal with work and money as well as the commotion of pursuing revenge. ## Review Sean Baker gives *Tangerine* the speed of a screwball comedy and lets its two friends be as difficult as they please. On the Hollywood streets on Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee Rella has a grievance to pursue, while Alexandra has the job of keeping up. It is a funny, affectionate film, with a slightly over-organised plot and two performances that make the disorder worth following. Both women are transgender sex workers, and the film lets them get on with their day. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez plays Sin-Dee Rella with the physical urgency of someone who cannot bear to waste another second. Her anger gives the walk a purpose and the dialogue its pace; an objection is liable to disappear under the next burst of talk. We laughed at the sheer effort she puts into staying furious. The performance makes that effort visible, so the comedy never quite conceals how much getting her own way means to Sin-Dee Rella. Mya Taylor’s Alexandra makes an equally strong impression without trying to match that speed. She can listen without looking passive, and her steadier presence allows the friendship to contain irritation as well as affection. We believe these women have spent time together before the camera arrived, including time when they would rather have been somewhere else. Sean Baker and co-writer Chris Bergoch give them talk that can be rude, funny and personal within a few breaths, rather than explanatory speeches about their circumstances. The iPhone photography by Radium Cheung and Sean Baker suits people who keep moving and a city that offers them little privacy. The heavily saturated colour makes the Hollywood streets feel hot and insistently present, rather than picturesque background for an unfortunate life. The image has enough force of its own to stop the camera’s small size becoming the whole discussion. The camera stays close to the performers without making the streets around them disappear. Sean Baker also edits, and the rapid cutting keeps the comedy brisk without losing the rapport between the leads. At 87 minutes, this is a compact film, though its excursions away from the women can still feel like interruptions. Karren Karagulian brings a welcome ordinariness to Razmik, the Armenian cab driver, but his separate strand does not always justify the time it takes. Returning to the friends restores a tension and intimacy that the wider collection of encounters cannot consistently supply. The script is also a little too neat. Some of the plotting feels arranged for the convenience of a farce, which briefly jars against the less predictable behaviour of the performers. Yet the screwball approach is mostly a sound choice: money, work and wounded pride can be serious matters without requiring everybody to speak solemnly. The humour permits the women vanity, bad judgement and the pleasure of being funny, qualities a more dutiful social drama might have tidied away. There is tenderness here, but the director does not keep pointing it out, and the quieter feelings have room to arrive without a warning speech. That restraint is welcome in a comedy so happy to shout, because it leaves the actors to make the changes in mood credible. Give it an evening when polite conversation has begun to seem overrated. *Fi1m score 84, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are uniformly positive about Tangerine, with praise clustering around its central performances, saturated iPhone photography and compassionate humour. Most critics find that the leads’ quick, believable rapport gives the raucous screwball comedy emotional weight, making friendship matter as much as the misadventures through Los Angeles. The film’s energy and visual inventiveness draw repeated approval, as does its treatment of transgender sex workers without condescension or moralising. The differences are chiefly in the degree of enthusiasm, rather than any disagreement about those strengths. Slant Magazine admires the style and musicality but finds that unnecessary narrative threads slow things down, while IndieWire notes some overly neat plotting within an otherwise entertaining comedy. HeyUGuys also finds certain subversive elements contrived, though it values the resourceful filmmaking and authenticity; these reservations leave all three on the positive side of a strongly favourable consensus. ### Reviews we read (22) - **Time Out**, David Ehrlich (5/5): The review calls it a bracingly brilliant reinvigorating reminder of what indie filmmaking can do, with raw energy and a moment of silent compassion at the end. It singles out the iPhone-shot saturated visuals and the nuanced central performances for praise. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tangerine) - **Empire**, Ian Freer (90/100, inferred): The critic highlights the electric filmmaking with Scorsese-like vim, great performances, riotous laughs and compassion toward marginalised characters. Overall verdict is 'Terrific stuff.' [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tangerine-review/) - **IndieWire**, Katie Walsh (A-): The review highlights the film's ramshackle, wildly entertaining romp through a single day in L.A. as two transgender prostitutes navigate misadventures in a screwball-like buddy comedy, noting its charming tone and universal relatability despite some neat plotting. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-sean-bakers-sundance-sensation-tangerine-262216/) - **Los Angeles Times** (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film an enchanting, joyful girlfriend movie that peels back the curtain on a fascinating Los Angeles microculture of transgender prostitutes. It highlights the electric performances of the two leads and the witty script in a Thelma and Louise-style comedy. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-tangerine-review-20150710-story.html) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's vibrant energy, flavorful dialogue, and warm, non-judgmental portrayal of marginalized transgender sex workers and other outcasts in L.A., calling it a vibrant and uplifting snapshot with strong performances and satisfying emotional resolution. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/tangerine-sundance-review-767066/) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (NYT Critic’s Pick): The critic praises the film as a fast, raucously funny comedy about love and misadventures that functions primarily as a moving female-friendship story. It singles out the two transgender leads and their vibrant, motormouthed chemistry amid the margins of Los Angeles. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/movies/review-tangerine-a-madcap-buddy-picture-about-transgender-prostitutes.html) - **Variety**, Justin Chang (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an exuberantly raw and compassionate portrait of life on the L.A. margins, with big-hearted humor and insight into its transgender protagonists' friendship. It singles out the innovative iPhone-shot visuals and the generous vision of humanity. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/news/sundance-film-review-tangerine-1201414093/) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a boisterous post-camp transgender comedy that delivers everything an old-fashioned mainstream Hollywood comedy should, with hilarious yet serious moments, strong physical and emotional performances from the leads, and inventive iPhone-shot style. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/06/movie-review-tangerine.html) - **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (85/100, inferred): Tangerine is a pithy, hugely entertaining street comedy that crackles with immediacy and mixes farce with moving observations of its characters' struggles and friendships. Romney singles out the propulsive energy of Sin-Dee’s quest, the vivid iPhone-shot visuals, and the tender performances by the lead duo. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/film-of-the-week-tangerine-sean-baker/) - **Sight and Sound**, Lisa Mullen (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Baker's touching and occasionally hilarious neo-screwball as grippingly watchable with big-heartedness and strong performances from the leads. She singles out the quality of the acting and the emotional honesty that emerges from the broad farce and guerrilla style. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-tangerine) - **The Independent**, Geoffrey Macnab (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a marvel for its extraordinary visual inventiveness, humour and pathos despite being shot on an iPhone 5. It follows two transgender prostitutes and an Armenian cab driver in a freewheeling style reminiscent of Cassavetes. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/tangerine-film-review-humour-and-pathos-shot-on-an-iphone-5-a6732636.html) - **Little White Lies**, Katherine McLaughlin (4/4/4): This is hailed as one of the year’s most purely enjoyable films, a euphoric revenge caper full of vibrant energy and hilarious moments grounded in friendship. The critic singles out the lived-in performances and low-budget ingenuity for particular praise. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/tangerine) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): The film is described as a bracing slice of American indie filmmaking that pulses with raunchy energy and compassionate humour, boosting Baker’s reputation. It singles out the surprisingly cinematic iPhone-shot look and the instantly winning mix of matter-of-factness, humour and compassion. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/tangerine-review/5090052.article) - **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The film is a bittersweet affair with real tenderness and empathy amid LA's artificiality. The lead performances by Rodriguez and Taylor stand out as a terrific double act full of energy, comedy and melancholia. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/15/tangerine-review-sean-baker-la) - **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (70/100, inferred): The review emphasizes the film's triumph in style and musicality through iPhone cinematography, praising how it transcends issues of race, gender, and orientation by focusing on character and empathy, while noting some unnecessary narrative threads that slightly bog it down. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/tangerine-review-sean-baker/) - **Paste**, Andy Crump (9.6/10): The critic praises the film's rich empathy and naturalism, which make the lurid world of its transgender sex-worker protagonists feel universally relatable. Baker treats Los Angeles as a vivid, living character while delivering an outsized, compassionate screwball energy in a compact package. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/tangerine) - **Eye for Film**, Owen Van Spall (90/100, inferred): Calls the film a high-energy, outrageously funny adrenaline shot with naturalistic performances from the leads and a tender focus on female friendship and solidarity. Singles out the hyper-saturated iPhone cinematography and rapid-fire editing for creating an intimate, immediate feel. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/tangerine-2015-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A-): Hails it as fresh, funny, original and energetic, capturing gritty Hollywood streets through the perspectives of its vibrant transgender leads. Praises the quick rapport between the central friends and its thoughtful handling of their world, danger and solidarity. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/sundance-review-tangerine-is-a-fresh-funny-and-original-stream-of-pure-energy-20150126/) - **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The film is an ebullient comedy about two transgender sex workers on a chaotic Christmas Eve quest through Hollywood. It singles out the believable friendship and true-to-life details of the characters' hand-to-mouth existence for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/tangerine-review-kitana-kiki-rodriguez-mya-taylor-james-ransone/) - **Consequence** (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's entertaining contradictions as slice-of-life drama meets screwball comedy, celebrating its refusal to moralize or condescend while showing strong, self-aware characters asserting dignity amid hustle and humiliation. It frames the absurdities of identity and relationships with a light, inviting touch. [Read](https://consequence.net/2015/07/film-review-tangerine/) - **The Skinny**, Jamie Dunn (★★★★): Tangerine is a rambunctious single-night screwball comedy set on the West Hollywood strip that keeps pace with its firecracker heroines through shimmering LA light. Dunn praises the expressive iPhone-shot camera and how the film slips from high energy into a sweet humanist drama. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/tangerine) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (70/100, inferred): Praises the film's resourceful iPhone-shot innovation and its authentic portrayal of LA's transgender sex worker community, highlighting the energetic storytelling and focus on real underbelly life. Notes some contrived subversive elements but finds it a welcome change from mainstream cinema. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/tangerine-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Sean Baker - **Director:** Sean Baker - **Writer:** Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch - **Cinematography:** Sean Baker, Radium Cheung - **Editor:** Sean Baker - **Costume design:** Shih-Ching Tsou - **Producer:** Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox - **Cast:** Kitana Kiki Rodriguez as Sin-Dee Rella; Mya Taylor as Alexandra; Karren Karagulian as Razmik; Mickey O'Hagan as Dinah; Alla Tumanian as Ashken; James Ransone as Chester; Luiza Nersisyan as Yeva; Arsen Grigoryan as Karo - **Runtime:** 1h 27m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 10 July 2015 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Budget:** $100,000 - **Box office:** $925,000 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA6r2jbzEMI ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: streaming - Tubi: free, hd - The Roku Channel: free, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $5.00, hd - Apple TV: buy $9.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AU, BG, CA, DK, EE, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IL, IT, JP, MY, NO, NZ, PH, SE, TR, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown* (1988), Fi1m 84: Another furious pursuit through a city, with farce making room for hurt. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown.md) - *Support the Girls* (2018): Women working difficult shifts find friendship without being asked to become saints. - *Daisies* (1966): Two women make a nuisance of themselves, with gleefully disruptive editing. - *Happy Together* (1997), Fi1m 86: Volatile companionship and expressive colour, with tenderness surviving some thoroughly bad behaviour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/happy-together.md) - *The Watermelon Woman* (1996): A funny, personal search through queer history, with romance complicating the research. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/tangerine