It is a portrait of the small and remote community of Darwin, located in California's Mojave Desert.

[1] In August 2011, the film had a limited theatrical run in New York City and Los Angeles as part of the 15th Annual DocuWeeks Theatrical Documentary Showcase.

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave the film 5 out of 5 stars and called it "a beautiful, elegiac work with unexpected impact and meaning.

"[3] Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times also praised the film, calling it "a droll and dusty portrait of a place where privacy is prized and boundaries respected.

[5] As of October 2021[update], Darwin holds an 80% rating on the film review site Rotten Tomatoes.