“There are lyrical moments that approach the transcendental… Sam’s World’s overall approach to broaching the broader implications of sex work is refreshing in a film environment that readily fetishizes or prods the trade voyeuristically, and from afar.”

— Conor Traux, Jan 27th, 2024

“Sam’s World feels like a notes app poem, an unsent love letter or a diary entry. It’s something so intimate that the viewing experience feels intrusive, as if you’re sneaking a peek at something that wasn’t meant for you to see. But with that, the film finds its voice in its vulnerability. 

Sam’s World is not a sad story and it’s not a happy story; it’s simply Sam’s story. As our protagonist bounces from scene to scene and emotion to emotion, it’s made clear how much Sam’s situation is tearing them apart, but also how others in their life are pulling them back together, again and again.” 

— Becca Ortmann, Jan 25th, 2024

“I am floored by the amount of indie film DNA seems to be inside this prodigy’s methods. Their use of causal dialogue found in real life to build a realistic tableau has roots that stretch from Cassavetes to Sayles to Tarantino.

Sam’s World was made by an outsider with the craft of an insider, definitely worth catching with both hands.

— Michael Talbot-Haynes, Jan 28th, 2024

“This is a modern story of how an LGBT relationship isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. These two main characters seemingly live a happy life, but if you look between the cracks, they have problems.” 

— Dan Skip Allen, Jan 24th, 2024