Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

RipDelight This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

popcorn909 Set against the backdrop of a devout Christian family, Natural Selection is more than a satire of Christianity. It is a light-hearted story about warped individuals connected by love. Rachel Harris plays the faithful wife of her religious husband who refuses to have sex with her because it is sinful to have sex for pleasure and not for reproduction. As Linda (Rachel's character) is infertile, sexual intercourses can only result in a pampering for lust. The twist crops up when Adam the husband collapses from a stroke at a sperm bank where he has secretly frequented for 20 years. Instead of falling into a fit of rage at Adam's "infidelity", or betrayal because as a guy he can justify his masturbation from donating sperms while a woman can only stay painfully celibate, Linda sets out on a solo road trip to find Adam's sperm-son, Raymond, played by Matt O'Leary. To carry on the comic vibe of the film, the son turns out to be a foul-mouthed oddball and a junkie wanted by the police. While Raymond is a far cry from the social league of Rachel, they surprisingly develop a very strong relationship. Both actors had amazing performance. It's a joy to see their chemistry, which makes the story so absurd yet so believable. One may think this is just a story to taunt people's dogmatic observance of their religious beliefs. But Robbie Pickering has another surprise in store, which actually shifts the focus on the internal journey of Linda in her struggle with forgiveness, self- identity, and also the cravings of love and sex. As Raymond turns out to be a responsible, self-accountable adult at the end, Linda attains an even greater transformation which is also up to the audience's interpretation. If you want a movie for a laugh and a touch of the heart, Natural Selection is your naturally the choice to be!

Bryan Kluger 'Natural Selection' is a breath of fresh air in the indie film scene. Director Robbie Pickering puts an original face and new spin on the standard road trip film where a pair of people set out on a journey to discover who they really are, a plot line that has been played out time and time again. But with the performances of Rachael Harris and Matt O'Leary, and Pickering's visual style, 'Natural Selection' rises above the rest in the independent film genre.The follows Linda (Rachael Harris), a shy evangelical woman who has been married to Abe (John Diehl) for a couple of decades. They live in a small town and both put God first before anything else. However, Linda is very sexually frustrated, as she hasn't been intimate with her husband for a long long time now, reason being that since Linda is unable to have a child, Abe believes that they shouldn't have sex for pleasure, but rather for just making babies. Needless to say, Linda is is pretty depressed about it, although she stays true to her husband.However, one day as she is talking with her pastor/brother-in-law Peter (John Gries), she gets a phone call informing her that Abe has suffered a major stroke, but is still alive. It is also revealed that he had the stroke at a local sperm bank, which he has frequents quite often since they were married, and also enjoys watching fetish porn as he fills those cups.Linda is outraged as she has come to the thought that she is unwanted by her husband for all of these years, but he still goes to the sperm bank every chance he gets. She feels inadequate, guilty, and overall worthless, mostly because she wasn't able to provide Abe with a child. So, Linda secretly looks into the sperm bank's files and finds one of the kids Abe has fathered through the sperm bank, and thus sets us off on our journey so that Linda can bring him to Abe, in hopes of giving him a child he so desperately wants, before he dies.Unfortunately, this kid is now in his mid to late twenties and goes by the name of Raymond (Matt O'Leary), and is a wicked drug habit, a foul mouth, and has just recently escaped prison, which we see the hilarious and brilliant escape in the opening scene of the film. From here we see these two worlds on opposite ends of the spectrum collide with Linda's shy and true nature in helping, and Raymond's drug fueled rages and incoherent ramblings bring one closer to another. Never done in a cheesy way, both are on journeys within themselves as they are physically on the road. This is mostly a serious drama film, besides some of the story plot and the character of Peter, who literally goes insane, when he finds out about Linda's journey.Harris is phenomenal in her role. It completely surprised me and I think she could win an Oscar for this role or a future role. If you don't recognize Rachael Harris, you might remember her from 'The Hangover' as Stu's (Ed Helms) bitchy girlfriend. You won't even recognize her in 'Natural Selection' and she just steals the show. As for Matt O'Leary, he also does a solid job of playing a drug addicted loser. He plays it so well, that there is not one point of the film where you do not root for him. He is very likable, even though he does some deplorable things.'Natural Selection' is a fine film. It will be in my rotation cue to show people this stroke of genius. The acting, directing, and story are quite engaging and is a great addition to the independent film world. I hope all indie filmmakers strive for a film like this. I definitely recommend this.

poisoncupcake74 The only thing I didn't like was the ending. There is not at all one other thing unlikeable though about this film. It is amazing. I waited for over a year to see it and it is well worth the wait. Matt O'Leary is really an under-appreciated actor. When you see how talented he is you begin to wonder why he was in Sorority Row and not doing more films such as this or Frailty from when he was younger. He absolutely steals this film and Rachel Harris equally steals it back and forth throughout. The premise is that Linda is a religious but neglected wife. Her husband will not have sex with her and ignores her, so to give her life meaning when her husband is on the verge of death, she goes in search of who she believes is his son. The two develop an odd relationship that works. Unfortunately, Linda is being followed by her sisters husband who is obsessed with her and believes her to be in danger. Again, the ending left me unhappy but the acting and movie were so good that I cannot give this movie any less than a 10. It is so perfect, that even though the ending is flawed, it is still perfect. That is saying a lot. That is saying EVERYTHING.

JustCuriosity Robbie Pickering had its World Premiere at SXSW where it was well-received and earned several awards. It is sort of an odd film about the struggles of damaged people. Natural Selection could be described as partially a critique of fundamentalist religion, part road trip film, and part human tragedy. It is the story of Linda who is trapped in a loveless marriage. She goes on a trip looking for one thing and discovers parts of herself that she didn't know existed. The script is well-written and the film is well-acted – especially considering this is the writer/director's first feature film. The film avoids easy answers or simple judgments to complex questions. The character development for the two main characters is nuanced and provocative. In the end, the audience may be left with more questions than answers. The film seeks intended as a critique of dogmatism, but offers the viewer little in the way of alternative answers to hang on to.