Critic Reviews

A comedy of interracial wariness and misunderstanding marked by a refreshing lack of sappiness.

Serves up a dramatic comedy piquant as its title.

Lo's writing is generally solid, and he creates some genuinely funny and touching moments with his use of dream sequences and flashbacks. He may not have gotten his proportions perfect in this first try, but Catfish in Black Bean Sauce shows that Lo has sharp cinematic instincts.

As engaging as it is ungainly and scattered.

Chock full of personality and irreverent detail.

There are enough plot points to fill an entire soap-opera season, but writer-director Chi Muoi Lo, who also plays the son, somehow manages to juggle them all, turning seemingly superfluous elements into workable drama and metaphor.

Too mild-mannered and fuzzily focused for its own good.

Ranges from exquisitely sensitive to crass, but overall, it's an interesting effort.

Isn't quite as much fun as it could be.

Determined to try your patience, asking you to fall in love with it.