Tangerine (2015)
87%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 25 wins & 43 nominations
Tangerine shatters casting conventions and its filmmaking techniques are up-to-the-minute, but it’s an old-fashioned comedy at heart — and a pretty wonderful one at that
Tangerine is a wild ride that will have you laughing, crying, and cringing all at once. The performances from Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez are electric, and the fact that the movie was shot entirely on iPhones just adds to its gritty charm. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something fresh and daring, Tangerine is the perfect pick. Just be prepared for some NSFW language and situations!
Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong and disturbing sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, and drug use
Year of Release
2015
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Stereo
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 27m
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Language(s):English, Armenian, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 2015 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 10, 2015
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O’Hagan, James Ransone, Alla Tumanian, directed by Sean Baker, written by Sean Baker, genre: Comedy/Drama, box office performance: $701.8K, budget: unknown, reviewed by Morgan Collado, Mey Rude, Candice Frederick, Jai Tiggett, Kristen Yoonsoo Kim, Adam Nayman, Cole Smithey, Ben Turner, Yasmin Omar, Olly Richards, Richard Propes, Matthew Turner, MPAA rating: R, produced by Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou, transgender, sex worker, pimp, revenge, Christmas Eve, Los Angeles, iPhone filmmaking, dark humor, authenticity, slice-of-life
Worldwide gross: $840,099
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,048,669
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,592
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 114,359
US/Canada gross: $702,354
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $876,726
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,218
US/Canada opening weekend: $60,683
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $75,749
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,049
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $100,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $124,827
Production budget ranking: 2,140
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $67,219
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $856,623
ROI to date (est.): 446%
ROI ranking: 292
Mya Taylor – Alexandra
Karren Karagulian – Razmik
Mickey O’Hagan – Dinah
James Ransone – Chester
Alla Tumanian – Ashken
Director – Sean Baker
Producers – Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou
Writer – Sean Baker
Director(s)
Sean Baker
Writer(s)
Sean Baker
Producer(s)
Sean Baker, Karrie Cox, Marcus Cox, Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
25 wins & 43 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (160) | Top Critics (52) | Fresh (154) | Rotten (6)
I enjoyed it… But the way it’s set up, how it’s shot, the progression of the plot – it’s clear that it is offering up the story to a mostly white, bougie audience. It was voyeuristic in the worst possible way.
August 13, 2021
Morgan Collado
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
Most of the movie’s slow-burning heat comes from Mya Taylor’s amazingly deep and deliberate – and often uproariously comedic – performance as Alexandra
August 13, 2021
Mey Rude
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
I want to see these two actresses in other, better films–even if it’s just to erase Tangerine out of my head. They deserve better.
September 1, 2017 | Rating: D+
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
[Tangerine] is spinning a tale of friendship and solidarity in the most unforgiving circumstances.
August 15, 2017
Jai Tiggett
Shadow and Act
TOP CRITIC
At its core, this is a hilarious movie; it just happens to star two transgender women as the lead. That alone is worthy of note.
February 23, 2017
Kristen Yoonsoo Kim
Complex
TOP CRITIC
As a formal exercise… Tangerine is nothing short of remarkable; as a portrait of people doing their best to be their best selves, it’s as warm and vivid as the sunsets splashed across its narrow but expansive digital canvas.
December 7, 2015
Adam Nayman
Reverse Shot
TOP CRITIC
Only two kinds of people, hypocrites or narcissists. You are the one you can admit to. Take your pick.
January 13, 2022 | Rating: A+
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
Essentially, Sin-Dee and Alexandra are the elaborate cherries sitting on top of a very well-crafted but familiar cake. And who doesn’t love a new spin on a familiar classic?
September 2, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Ben Turner
The Pink Lens
Sean Baker’s breakout hit is ostensibly upbeat, awash with lurid colours whose brightness obscures the seedy underworld he is unmasking.
June 25, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Yasmin Omar
Harper’s Bazaar
Shot using iPhones instead of cameras, this low-budget chase film has a touching message.
April 22, 2021
Olly Richards
NME
Ragged and raw, yet it’s also intimate and mesmerizing.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
By turns exhilarating, moving and laugh-out-loud funny, this is a thoroughly entertaining, expertly made indie that’s unlike anything else you’ve seen all year.
February 19, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Matthew Turner
WOW247…
Plot
After her pimp cheats on her while she’s in jail, a transgender sex worker and her best friend set out to find him and teach him and his new lover a lesson in the comedy-drama film Tangerine.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film Tangerine stars Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, both of whom are actual transgender women.
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