King Corn
Metascore
70 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    91
    Aaron Woolf's we-are-what-we-eat documentary King Corn is a lively introduction to the corn industrial complex.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    88
    A breezy diary from a pair of first-time farmers, as well as a wry rebuke to a nation devoted to eating cheaply but not necessarily well, King Corn makes its points without much finger-wagging.
  3. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    The film always teaches and entertains in equal, ample measure. It's a treat -- and it's good for you.
  4. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marrit Ingman
    78
    The film’s light hand, appealing style, and simple exposition make it an eminently watchable inquiry into the politics of food and public health, accessible to the documentary-shy and wildly appropriate for older kids, who may further respond to its generational emphasis.
  5. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    75
    Neatly, and often humorously, summarizes a very unhealthy situation.
  6. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Janice Page
    75
    It's fair to say that a meaner documentary might have packed more punch. But it's hard to imagine Michael Moore turning out anything that feels as pleasantly nourishing.
  7. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Zack Haddad
    70
    A very creative documentary that takes a seemingly dull topic and makes it entertaining.
  8. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    70
    Thankfully, this information arrives via a graceful and frequently humorous film that captures the idiosyncrasies of its characters and never hectors.
  9. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    70
    King Corn will put you off corn for a long, long time, but this is as much a thoughtful meditation on the plight of the American farmer as it is a rant against our expanding waistlines.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    70
    No doubt inspired to some degree by "Super Size Me," this equally engaging, slightly better-crafted documentary deftly balances humor and insight.
  11. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    70
    It should be required viewing before going into a supermarket, McDonald's or your very own refrigerator.
  12. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    70
    In this 2006 entry the insights are worthwhile.
  13. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    63
    Homey but not especially interesting trips down the Ellis and Cheney family lanes.
  14. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    60
    King Corn is entertaining enough, but it's also a moral, crucially skeptical road trip down the food chain.
  15. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Matt Zoller Seitz
    50
    Mr. Cheney and Mr. Ellis are so pleasantly nondescript that they make no particular impression. As a result, all the time spent on autobiographical detail and personal banter hampers the film’s urgency, and plays like an awkward attempt to justify a format that the filmmakers are too self-effacing to exploit.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. FloydH.
    10
    Everyone seems to have missed the whole point of this eye-opening and noteworthy documentary. Folks in the corn belt will view this film as an attack upon their livelihood. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will only see this as an indictment of meat. Both hit the board but miss the bulls eye by a mile. We have an obesity epidemic in America that is spreading to the whole world, and already some two-thirds of Americans are going to die an early death because they are either obese or overweight. The negative effect of obesity on productivity and enjoyment of life is monumentally more damaging to the soul of America than most can easly surmise. High fructose corn syrup is killing America. When carbohydrates are consumed your pancreas is signaled to produce insulin, and every calorie is stored as FAT. If you eat a high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate diet, you will lose about .2 lbs per day, and will become exponentially healthier. Take the zero carb not Peppsi challenge. Go to your local mart and actually look at how little food is low or zero carb. The government food pyramid is made of carbs. High fructose corn syrup has virtually replaced sugar because it is cheaper for the farmer to produce due to subsidies, and therefore has a higher profit margin. The Corn industry justifies its subsidized existence by touting how little money the average consumer has to spend to acquire sufficient daily calories (never minding the fact that a subsidy to a parasite is a tax on a producer). But as Gary Taubes in his new book Good Calories Bad Calories - using rigorous science and documentation, and as any follower of Atkins knows, one tends to eat dramatically less on a low carb diet to the point of almost rectifying the price imbalance. Had Morgenschiester from Super Size Thee, only ate Meat and Cheese at MickieD's he would have been sated far too early to finish the bun, fries, and high fructose corn syrup. How can we fault the farmer, FastFood, or the Consumer for taking the easy way out? We should place blame squarely on the shoulders of the Government for its communistic social engineering of our society that yields big bucks for big industry on the backs of a populace that will die an early death. But if you view the American population as one giant herd of cattle, then it makes sense that our reproduction and early death is preferred for its effect on GDP? Ketogenisis, D3 (4k+ I.U. /d), and SlowBurn weightlifting have the capacity to virtually end early death in America. Google it, do the research, stop relying on MSM and give this little gem of a documentary a chance. This film was brought to you by entrepreneurs working in the free market - reward them with your viewing dollars. As an aside; there is mention in the film about how healthy free ranged grass fed cattle are. That is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Some in the know have warrant for the belief that if we turned all corn acres into grass land for cattle, its effect on carbon sequestration would IMMEDIATELY remove enough carbon green house gas to completely reverse global warming. That is if you believe in that socialist wealth redistribution scheme. ;-)… Full Review »
  2. RobertB.
    5
    Deceptively interesting subject matter, boring film. Way too much time is wasted on things like the filmmakers interviewing their family members in the area, and minutes of transitional footage whenever the filmmakers travel from one location to another. This would be tolerable if it helped to present an interesting narrative relating the the subject matter of the film, or if it infused the documentary with some sense of drama, but it doesn't. It may be difficult for me to judge this movie fairly though, as I already everything they presented from reading the first 109 pages of Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. In fact, this movie is essentially just an illustrated version of the first part of that book, and Pollan appears to offer a few interview snippets during the movie. So what I'd recommend is that you skip this film and read the book instead. Or if you don't feel like reading, watch Michael Pollan's talk on The Omnivore's Dilemma on YouTube, which goes into more depth than the film and is every bit as intriguing (and is free to boot), even if it lacks some of the imagery of King Corn.… Full Review »
  3. JayH.
    7
    Informative and thought provoking documentary about corn. The film starts from planting corn seeds and progresses to what is made of corn and the effects that has on all of us.… Full Review »
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