Los Angeles Times by Michael Rechtshaffen

What begins as a quirky portrait of the artist as a gringo mariachi troubadour proves to be a telling study of a lost soul whose palpable passion for his music acts as a surrogate for more meaningful human contact.

Village Voice by Nick Schager

Incisively intimate, it's a small but stirring snapshot of a gifted, hopelessly lonely soul.

The Hollywood Reporter by John DeFore

First-timer Naar both fails to convince us of his subject's musical genius and gives the impression he's leaving out important details.

Variety by Joe Leydon

It’s easy to see what drew filmmaker Aaron I. Naar to his eponymous subject in Mateo, but it’s almost impossible to share his enthusiasm or even feel much sympathy for a figure who, for a good chunk of this sluggish yet disconcerting documentary, comes across as a genuinely creepy person.