"National Anthem adopts a hazy and nostalgic atmosphere to chronicle one man’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance in a new world."

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 18, 2025

Luke Gilford’s luminously anti-patriarchal queer rodeo rancher debut feature is a gift to those doing things differently with purpose.

| Jan 2, 2025

The Western is alive and well, just looking a bit different.

| Dec 12, 2024

Fronted by strong turns from Plummer and Lindley, National Anthem is a heartfelt tale of queer acceptance, which constantly surprises and delights at every turn.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 12, 2024

A beautifully shot coming-of-age story with a stunning message surrounding inclusivity and finding your people, National Anthem is one of the year’s best indie gems.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 6, 2024

The drama sputters and fails to catch fire; it's as if Gilford is far less interested in kindling things and prefers to just look at his pretty cast in a variety of lighting schemes... That said, the toothsome cast is well worth watching.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 3, 2024

... establishes its own unique identity by intimately portraying an identity in flux.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 15, 2024

Luke Gilford, here making his feature debut, is unable to overcome the shopworn trappings that weigh down this tale of self-discovery and the makeshift families that adopt us.

| Sep 16, 2024

National Anthem is among the very best of [the year], a sublime, deeply-empathetic look at what it means to find yourself — and find your community — in a world that would rather you didn’t. Stunning stuff.

| Aug 29, 2024

It’s not all sunshine and roses, but National Anthem knows that finding oneself and first love are often a thorny path that leaves an indelible mark on those who walk it.

| Aug 17, 2024

The film’s tenderness is borne from its tactility, an emphasis on the physical touch that connects characters.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 9, 2024

Luke Gilford's National Anthem has all the beauty of a Cormac McCarthy novel, but the chronicle of queer rodeo performers plays into tired tropes.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 1, 2024

It shows us that, in a world based on comfortable constructs, we can always change those constructs to make things better.

| Jul 29, 2024

It’s a slow burn without a ton of plot but the characters were engaging enough to draw me in as well as the beautiful cinematography and filmmaking on display.

| Jul 26, 2024

Photographer Luke Gilford鈥檚 directorial debut is a stirring portrait of gay rodeo life.

| Jul 25, 2024

Imbued with the spirit of a Gus Van Sant film, the coming-of-age story emphasizing discovery and self-acceptance features exceptional performances by Charlie Plummer, Eve Lindley, and Mason Alexander Park.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 23, 2024

A stripped down, but wonderfully impactful and affecting look at forming and embracing personal identity, Luke Gilford’s first feature National Anthem is one of the most disarming and surprising films of the year.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Jul 22, 2024

Even states that are openly hostile to LGBTQ+ rights can be home to thriving queer communities, like in National Anthem. To [director] Gilford’s considerable credit, [he] deliberately avoids the all-too-familiar tropes of queer coming-of-age stories.

| Jul 20, 2024

At its core, NATIONAL ANTHEM is A sensual, fun and thoughtful in its depiction of a group of people finding their place and voice in the world. The film explores themes of chosen family and the quest for authenticity...

| Jul 20, 2024

What National Anthem lacks in spectacle it more than makes up for in quiet moments of beauty, tenderness and heartache.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 20, 2024