The film, whose title stands for Child of God, is based on a David Sedaris short story from his book of collected essays, Naked.

David, a recent Yale graduate, decides to "go off the grid" to work at an apple farm in Oregon, hoping to gain some life experience outside of his privileged upbringing.

Out of his element and failing to fit in amongst the town's migrant workers and deeply religious locals, David begins a journey that will take him deep into unfamiliar, awkward, and sometimes humorous territory as he encounters would-be benefactors and friends alike.

"[6] Matt Pais of the Chicago Tribune also gave a positive review, commenting "This is a film that both respects and questions faith, something rarely done without judgment", and observing that the "scenery [is] so beautiful you can practically feel the moisture on the leaves".

[7] He concluded, "The tone of this delicate drama zeroes in on a true sense of life experience without heroes or villains, only people with different limits to how far they're willing to go for someone else".

[7] Conversely, Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times gave a more mixed review, writing, "Despite smatterings of wit and a stable of skilled performers, C.O.G.