todd mccarthy of "the hollywood reporter" called it "a compelling debut" and "a powerful dramatic feature film". he also praised the lead performances stating, "as oscar, jordan at moments gives off vibes of a very young denzel washington in the way he combines gentleness and toughness; he effortlessly draws the viewer in toward him. diaz is vibrant as his patient and loyal girlfriend, while spencer brings her gravitas to the proceedings as his stalwart mother."