Even if you're in the camp that seethes with anger over Moore's politics, you'd have to be in a state of extreme denial not to realize that Moore knows how to make a movie.
Sicko (2007)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:191
Fresh:177
Rotten:14
Average Rating:7.7/10
Consensus: Though some consider his political bent divisive, Michael Moore's humanism is pretty universal in this devastating, convincing, and very entertaining expose of America’s health care system. Moore's permissive to download Sicko paired with the film's activity-inspiring website made it a considerable accomplishment in grassroots activism.
Theatrical Release:26-10-2007
Synopsis: America's most incendiary filmmaker, Michael Moore, returned in 2007 with this health-care-industry exposé. SICKO tackles material as controversial as the topics explored in Moore's other films,... America's most incendiary filmmaker, Michael Moore, returned in 2007 with this health-care-industry exposé. SICKO tackles material as controversial as the topics explored in Moore's other films, yet does so in a way that places the focus on ordinary Americans affected by the nation's health-care crisis. After providing some historical background on how our nation's medical care system became so ravaged and unfair, Moore interviews a series of individuals and families who have had their lives all but destroyed by the denial of care in the service of profit. While there are two sides to the gun-control debate and even a legitimate discourse for how to best wage the war on terror, it's simply impossible to justify how a baby girl can wind up dead because her mother's health insurance wasn't accepted at a nearby hospital. Moore smartly allows this and other stories to be told with little or no interference, conjuring strong feelings of empathy, rage, and deep sadness. Of course, SICKO isn't a PBS documentary, it's a Michael Moore movie, and his fingerprints are all over it. Moore visits countries that have universal health care--spectacularly so when he takes several World Trade Center workers to Guantanamo Bay (and then to Cuba) to receive health care that they were denied in the United States--and presents a compelling argument for adopting a similar system in the States. Moore's ultimate purpose here is to compel Americans to care for one another, and it's a simple request that shockingly must be made via a major motion picture, making SICKO essential viewing. [More]
Starring: Michael Moore
Starring: Michael Moore
Director: Michael Moore
Director: Michael Moore
Producer: Kathleen Glynn, Michael Moore, Meghan O'Hara
Studio: Weinstein Company
Reviews for Sicko
A patriotic American who believes that no one should be left behind, Moore employs his latest film as a bludgeoning tool against insidious insurance companies and the corrupt politicians who let them get away with murder -- often literally.
The problem with Sicko isn't that it's wrong, it's that the messenger has become too much like the powers-that-be.
Michael Moore has given us an evenhanded, insightful look into the mess known as health care in this country.
The movie plays like an expose that would make Edward R. Murrow proud. And for that reason, 'Sicko' may be the most significant documentary to come along since HMOs were conceived under Richard Nixon.
Michael Moore's intentions have always struck me as honest and legitimate, even when his filmmaking practices do not.
Sicko is not Moore's best made documentary but he deserves praise for forcing an issue to the forefront of national debate.
Moore mostly lets the sufferers speak, their stories revealing the deep, oozing wounds of a broken healthcare system. . . . deliver[s] an adrenal shot, a strangely enervating mix of anger, shame and hope.
A persuasive piece of propaganda because it is as entertaining and funny as it is heart-rending and disturbing.
Moore does a damn fine job of bringing "hidden" information to light in a fast-paced and surprisingly entertaining fashion.
The target is simply too large and too obviously broken to keep the film from hitting home.
Moore pauses for a moment, seemingly overwhelmed by the experiences he's filming in his own movie, to ask, who are we, and what have we become.
Though a debate about practical application would be welcome, Moore's people-person approach and sense of humor make Sicko a warm, humane, sad, and funny response to a social crisis.
Nothing like a little political theater to rouse the rabble and to make the indignation righteous. There is no better master of such showmanship than Michael Moore
Exposes the U.S. as a very dangerous place to be any combination of poor, sick and old and suggests that the AMA ought to consider changing its Hippocratic oath from 'First, do no harm,' to 'First, check the wallet.'
Better make sure you can afford cardiac care before you see "Sicko." Because these real-life stories could rend your heart.
Moore's simple triumph in Sicko is to pump fresh air into the discussion.
What will you see in Sicko? Heartbroken, worried, angry, feisty, funny and valiant people. They're irrefutable.
Latest News for Sicko
January 11, 2008:
Juno, No Country for Old Men Among Writers Guild Award Nominees
If there's one Hollywood awards ceremony that you'd think would be able to go off without a hitch this year, it'd be the Writers Guild Awards -- but you'd be wrong. More...
January 09, 2008:
No Country for Old Men, Juno, There Will Be Blood Lead Critics' Choice Winners
In what seems destined to go down as one of the season's few strike-free awards shows, the Critics' Choice Awards were held on Monday. More...
December 10, 2007:
There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men Top Critics' Awards
Multiple honorees from four regional critics' circles include the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men, P.T. Anderson's There Will Be Blood, Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell... More...
November 20, 2007:
Fifteen Documentaries Vie for Oscar Consideration
A little over a week after reporting the names of the dozen films being submitted for Oscar consideration in the animated feature film category, Variety has given readers the... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.





