Reception
The film received mostly favorable reviews and the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes shows Colma: The Musical with a 90% "fresh" among all reviews.
Colma: The Musical premiered at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival and won its Special Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature. The premiere was held at the AMC Kabuki 8 in its 700 seat house which was packed with people who knew nothing about the filmmakers, but possibly appeared based on the title of the film alone. The film was praised by young Asian Americans who identified with the lost, if a little wayward, teenagers.
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called it "an itty-bitty movie with a great big heart" while Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle said that the film "deserves to be seen for its sheer originality and audacity".
Negative reviews came from the Village Voice with Julia Wallace saying "it's unfortunate that Colma pays so little attention to Colma; it may as well be set anywhere." while Kyle Smith of the New York Post says "The songs sound like they were recorded on a toy synthesizer in someone's basement, and neither of the two male leads can sing."
After years of life on DVD and online instant viewing via Netflix, Colma: The Musical has been considered a cult favorite by many and has been paid tribute by various YouTube clips and high school musical renditions of the film. Ruthe Stein of the San Francisco Chronicle likens the film to American Graffiti and Diner, while Jurgen Fauth of About.com compared the film to Mallrats, Ghost World, and Once.
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