I.O.U.S.A. 2008

Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine: Sage audiences already concerned about their cash money will budget a few bucks to learn more. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Forceful and lucid. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Here's the bottom line, kids. The United States is probably going to go broke during your lifetimes. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: If this week's headlines have failed to convince you that the United States is on the verge of an economic meltdown, Patrick Creadon's scary new documentary, I.O.U.S.A., will demolish any lingering doubts. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: Though the filmmaking is playful at times, the film is essentially 90 percent message, 10 percent movie. Then again, sometimes a message is important enough to make other considerations seem irrelevant. Read more

Richard Nilsen, Arizona Republic: You will not likely forget the Jeremiad it presents about how the United States has been living on borrowed money -- and borrowed time -- for decades and now is presenting the bill for our extravagance to our grandchildren. Read more

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: Packed with facts, figures and the testimony of policy experts, the film is no wallow in wonkiness, but a surprisingly sprightly tough-love lesson in fiscal responsibility. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: A movie that should be seen by everyone. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: A sharp, absorbing portrait of our national debt crisis. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: A documentary about the U.S. addiction to debt, I.O.U.S.A. could have easily taken the title of another movie released this week, What Just Happened? Read more

Robert Koehler, L.A. Weekly: This is less a film than an argument -- so much so that it's hard to imagine many film critics, or audiences, without some knowledge of economic history being able to respond to it in any way except with sheer terror. Read more

Miami Herald: Documentarian Patrick Creadon does a nice job of making the daunting math and economic theories associated with our national debt accessible. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: There's no quick fix for a culture 'addicted to debt,' as one wag puts it in the film. But watching I.O.U.S.A. is a good place to start. Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: Any documentary about the alarming level of our national debt faces a major hurdle -- making the dismal subject at least somewhat palatable. I.O.U.S.A. does about as good a job as any film could be expected to, thanks to the direction of Patrick Creadon. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Jason Anderson, Toronto Star: I.O.U.S.A. is a clear, cogent and compelling primer on contemporary American economics and the not-so-small matter of how we ended up at the edge of a precipice. Read more

Hank Sartin, Time Out: Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Read more

Dave Calhoun, Time Out: This solid doc reminds us how unsustainable the current American economy is. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: An alternately amusing and alarming primer on America's off-the-charts fiscal irresponsibility. Read more

Michelle Orange, Village Voice: Both a handy election primer and a bowel-rattling cry of fiscal doom. Read more