Although one-sided, it's arguably a lot less problematic than the health system it asks viewers to cast a critical eye on and consider alternatives to. And very entertaining.
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
Moore's very existence provokes irrational hatred on a level I haven't seen since Nikolai Volkoff and the Iron Sheik defeated The US Express at the first WrestleMania.
Moore failed, with Farenheit 9/11, to keep George Bush from reelection in 2004. My wish is that he succeeds with his latest quest.
Michael Moore is the P.T. Barnum of America's liberals, bombastically attacking his opponents and frequently letting his ego spill out onscreen.
Full of half-truths (e.g., the French government his characters praise was thrown out of office after the film wrapped), this is just more of Moore's pathetic propaganda
[Moore] takes on the American health-care system and makes the enraging, bombastic case that it's sicker than any patient.
Why give Moore a free pass just because you support his ideologies? In the end, the real loyalty we owe is to truth.
Sicko is Michael Moore's most mature work to date and almost certainly his best film.
Funny, sad, eye-opening, infuriating, shocking- and pure Michael Moore. A must for anyone who cares about the state of their health and the health of the States!
Michael Moore is an incurable optimist who believes in the ability of America's core values to come up to par and exceed other countries in the way our government takes care of its people.
A blistering and convincing documentary designed to spur reform for a new system of universal health care.
That the treatment of patients in America is shockingly inhuman in many cases is obvious, and Moore uncovers a huge number and variety of horror stories about it. Like much of his work, though, while the film will inspire plenty of discussion through its
Michael Moore takes on the American health care system with grit, determination, and - believe it or not - subdued arrogance.
Moore's motion pictures are consistently hysterical, devastating, dynamic pieces of entertainment.
It's not a perfect movie but it will make you think - and the conversations you'll have afterwards are worth far more than the price of admission.
Whatever anyone's feelings may be about Michael Moore, it's hard to disagree with his argument that health care in the United States is broken and needs to be fixed.
It takes some skill to present a topic most people might agree with you about already, and actually still be able to move your audience with your story.
Moore's most sincere portrait of American life in the trenches since the groundbreaking Roger & Me.
At the very least, he's raised a warning flag that shouldn't be ignored.
Michael Moore has never before made a film that stated his bedrock ideological principles as clearly and accessibly as Sicko.
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.



Top Critic

