A quarter of a century later, The Watermelon Woman suggests that ’90s indie is a genre unto itself. ... For those who came of age as cineastes during that era, it’s a nostalgic nod to that gritty aesthetic and an important milestone in New Queer Cinema.

| Jul 29, 2024

Blending the line between history, fiction, and myth, the film highlights the importance of seeing ourselves reflected in the past.

| Feb 12, 2024

They don’t get much more groundbreaking than Cheryl Dunye’s landmark of queer cinema.

| Jun 21, 2023

Rambling, sweetly serious but also willing to do some self-deprecating satire, equal parts time capsule and still-relevant sheaf of questions.

| May 24, 2023

Cheryl's gentle storytelling allows room for a scrumptious romantic thread that hits all the beats of a stylish romcom exploring interracial dating.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 15, 2023

Bold film that explores the intersection of race, class and sexuality...

| Dec 14, 2022

Dunye's smart and poignant twisting of history makes the film a timeless statement.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 29, 2022

The Watermelon Woman is an enduring classic whose mere existence — even today — still feels like a miracle.

| Sep 26, 2022

An era-defining work, and an oft-overlooked queer cultural touchstone that feels somehow warmhearted and urgent - as confident and assured an artistic statement as any directorial debut you're likely to find.

| Jun 30, 2022

In one fell swoop, Dunye has managed to entertain, educate, and make a political statement.

| May 31, 2022

Watermelon Woman is about the images people create and/or allow others to create, and what these images tell future generations seeking to find a history. It is also about the obstacles facing black Lesbian artists of any generation.

| May 23, 2022

A challenging look at racism and homophobia in both the Thirties and the Nineties.

| May 23, 2022

With a formal art background and a string of experimental videos to her credit, Dunye has a passion for ideas.

| Apr 5, 2022

It gives us something we don't see much of in film -- young black women claiming their space and sharing it with the rest of us.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 22, 2022

Dunye's paper-thin narrative isn't enough to fill 79 minutes.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jan 22, 2022

With its loose, quasi-documentary style, The Watermelon Woman comes off as a charming slice of latter-day black lesbian life.

| Jan 22, 2022

The Watermelon Woman is quite smart, remarkably sophisticated filmmaking for a first-time director.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 22, 2022

[Dunye is] a worthy filmmaker and a good actress, too.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 22, 2022

Sadly, it intrigues only through its inventive manipulation of documentary techniques -- which is to say that what the form promises, the content falls far short of delivering.

| Jan 22, 2022

What could have been dry and didactic hums with humor, wit and laser-sharp insight.

| Jan 22, 2022