Like most of Mr. Sayles's films, Go for Sisters has a sociopolitical subtext — in this case, suggested by Fontayne: How is a parolee to avoid breaking the law by associating with drug dealers in an environment where they’re everywhere?

"[6] Tim Grierson of Paste Magazine wrote "Go for Sisters is too slack in its storytelling to build up much suspense",[7] while Jared Eisenstat of Film Comment wrote that "[the film] lopes along at a pace that at times verges on the pleasingly absurd: Bernice and Fontayne share a comical interlude with a cheerful, obtuse travel agent trying to sell them a trip to Baja; Suarez waxes on about his old rock 'n' roll band as he jams on an electric guitar; a car chase grinds to a halt when the trio stop at a gas station to refuel".

[9] According to Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post, "Go For Sisters is worth the time if only to witness the terrific chemistry between Hamilton and Ross, the latter of whom delivers a break-through performance as a woman of uncommon, almost regal, composure, even as she struggles to stay on the righteous path".

[13] Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle have criticized the director for being "too talented, too authentic and too original to make a flat-out bad movie, but he flirts with it in Go for Sisters".

[15] Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle added to the criticism "Go for Sisters goes down so many blind alleyways in its quest to find Bernice's son that the film sometimes feels more like an encyclopedia of social woes than a crime drama".

[17][18] On the contrary, Rolling Stone's Peter Travers praised the acting, saying "With the help of Hamilton, Ross and Olmos, sublime actors who radiate grit and grace, Sayles has made Go for Sisters a movie that stays inside your head long after you see it".