Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.
Tangerine is best known for being shot entirely on iPhone 5S cameras, giving it a vivid, saturated, handheld energy that feels genuinely distinctive — cinematography earns a 4 for that bold, scrappy aesthetic choice that actually works beautifully on screen. Novelty is equally high: the film's voice, tone, and perspective on trans sex workers in LA is singular, raw, and alive in a way few films achieve. The plotting is picaresque and loose — functional but not remarkable, landing at 3. Acting from the non-professional leads (especially Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) is naturalistic and energetic, though uneven at times, earning a 3. The ending is emotionally resonant and surprisingly tender, but not quite exceptional enough to push to a 4.