--- title: "Reservation Dogs: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/reservation-dogs/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/reservation-dogs" critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 7 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." --- # Reservation Dogs (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 86 from 7 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are uniformly warm, and the praise gathers around the same thing: the sense of place. Most critics find the rural Oklahoma reservation drawn with a specificity television rarely gives Native life, and credit the all-Native writers and cast for it. The four young leads are singled out for their ease with one another, and several reviews note that the comedy sits alongside grief and the pull to leave home without either being softened. Snack foods, back roads and small schemes are mentioned more than plot. The spread is narrow. The one real reservation comes from Collider, which finds the season uneven, its tonal shifts and surreal touches distracting from the character work it otherwise admires. Other critics describe the same meandering pace as a virtue, suited to aimless teenagers and rewarding patience. A few treat the first run as promising rather than finished, and hope the characters are given more room to deepen. ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2021. The critic praises the series as a stereotype-smashing triumph that blends Native American perspectives with indie film influences in a fresh coming-of-age comedy about four teens on a reservation. It singles out the authentic all-Native creative team and cast for delivering a light yet poignant take on home, trauma, and escape without pandering. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/13/reservation-dogs-review-a-stereotype-smashing-tarantino-esque-triumph) ## Variety — Daniel D'Addario Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 July 2021. The critic calls the series a lovely, eminently watchable triumph about Native life. They single out its rare sense of place and authentic, non-mythologizing portrayal of the reservation community. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/tv/reviews/reservation-dogs-fx-hulu-taika-waititi-sterlin-harjo-1235029493/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2021. The review praises it as a triumph of Indigenous representation with lived-in charm. It highlights the fresh Oklahoma location and strong ensemble of young newcomers in a coming-of-age story. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/reservation-dogs-1234991659/) ## Vulture — Kathryn VanArendonk Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2021. The series rewards patience with its deliberate, meandering pace and distinctive mood, which suits the aimless lives of its four Indigenous teenage protagonists in rural Oklahoma. The critic singles out the grounded, sensory details (like endless spicy chips) and the fresh perspective from new Native voices and actors as what makes it special and hopeful for deeper development. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/reservation-dogs-review-fx-on-hulu-series.html) ## Paste — Allison Keene Rating 9.2. 5 August 2021. The critic praises the show's funny, casual, and charming portrayal of Indigenous teens in Oklahoma, highlighting its authentic representation, sly humor, strong cast chemistry, and warm, heartfelt tone as a perfect summer series. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/reservation-dogs/reservation-dogs) ## The Ringer — Alison Herman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 September 2021. The stellar first season of Reservation Dogs proves far more than a tale of small schemes and bigger dreams, carving out its place among FX's immersive, existential comedies and ranking as one of the year's best series. It builds from promising debut to a worthy successor of Atlanta by zooming in on character studies and out to a full community portrait, capturing the totality of grief that amplifies its comedy through specificity and Native perspectives. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2021/09/21/tv/reservation-dogs-season-1-review-finale-fx) ## Collider — Gregory Lawrence Rating B-. 9 August 2021. The critic finds the series uneven and overstuffed with tonal shifts and surreal elements that can be distracting, but praises its unique approach and moments of deeper exploration of the protagonists. [Read the review](https://collider.com/reservation-dogs-review-fx-on-hulu-series/) --- © 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/tv/reservation-dogs.md