Ponyboi is a revelation of a character who appears to have it all together, and once this mask cracks, he quickly shows that he doesn’t, not even a little bit.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Mar 8, 2024

A campy visual feast that's dripping in neon, the style and vibe of this genre-blending LGBTQ+ film features likeable characters, refreshingly blunt sex scenes, and one hell of a wild, intense ride through New Jersey’s underbelly.

| Mar 7, 2024

At its core, it is an attempt to bring about a fresh point of view into a landscape well-trodden by countless other versions that play to the commonplace spaces previously seen.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Feb 8, 2024

Despite some pacing and plot fumbles, Arango’s Ponyboi is a showcase for talented performances with River Gallo and Dylan O’Brien as standouts. Fierce and exciting, Ponyboi predicts a promising future for all involved.

| Feb 4, 2024

We've seen this story before but thanks to Gallo's sharp screenplay & Arango's direction, Ponyboi goes beyond cliché for something more profound.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 2, 2024

Ponyboi does feel familiar plot-wise with its drug deal gone wrong and protagonist on the run, but the film presents a thought-provoking and personal story and will hopefully pave the way for more intersex representation on screen.

| Feb 2, 2024

A crime caper spliced with a queer coming-of-age story, tinged with the kitschy punch of the early-aughts.

| Feb 2, 2024

"Ponyboi," is written by and stars River Gallo in quite an impressive debut in both artistic arenas...and boasts a fierce turn by Dylan O'Brien...

| Original Score: B | Feb 1, 2024

The film would be nothing without River Gallo's performance, which stands out as a beacon of light in this emotional and beautifully shot ride.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 30, 2024

There’s never a dull moment in the New Jersey-set thriller, which relentlessly gives its hero something to do.

| Original Score: B | Jan 30, 2024

Ponyboi is a queer cinema genre pastiche that understands a movie can be artful, emotional, and incredibly entertaining.

| Jan 29, 2024

Ponyboi succeeds in carving a heartfelt portrayal of intersex queer identity. But Gallo’s screenplay is too invested in expository gestures, & the film’s self-conscious didacticism undercuts its desire to actually deliver a... consideration of queerness.

| Jan 29, 2024

Ponyboi is a strong showcase for River Gallo but only a middling genre tale when taken on the whole.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 27, 2024

A sleek film, only occasionally hampered by predictability and contrivance.

| Jan 26, 2024

Cinema history is short on anyone remotely like Gallo, whose million-watt charisma and one-of-a-kind experience feel wasted in this role.

| Jan 26, 2024

With Ponyboi, Gallo has taken a familiar genre and enlivened it with a story both groundbreaking and deeply personal.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Jan 26, 2024

Ponyboi loses steam by the third act, but it's a fun ride until then.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jan 26, 2024

...a unique take on the crime thriller, an exciting perspective and one that balances farce with heart in mostly the right measures.

| Original Score: B | Jan 25, 2024

There’s a fascinating, groundbreaking character study at the heart of “Ponyboi,” exploring the hard life of an intersex person. … Unfortunately, that character is trapped in the sort of lowlife crime drama that used to be a dime-a-dozen at Sundance.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 25, 2024

At the heart of the film is a magnetic performance by River Gallo, conveying this compelling, flawed character’s vulnerability and resilience with every beat.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 25, 2024