King Coal

Released Aug 11, 2023

1 hr. 18 min.

Documentary

List

88%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

90%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, KING COAL meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life, imagining the ways a community can re-envision itself. While deeply situated in the regions under the reign of King Coal, where McMillion Sheldon has lived and worked her entire life, the film transcends time and place, emphasizing the ways in which all are connected through an immersive mosaic of belonging, ritual, and imagination. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, KING COAL untangles the pain from the beauty, and illuminates the innately human capacity for change.

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John C

A visually stunning consideration of the all-pervasive role of the coal industry in the lives of normal Appalachian people. It is a fair and balanced account, depicting the damage done to the environment, yes, but also how coal jobs have provided for families and communities, showing the pride of those communities in their underground work. Two delightful young girls provide an artistic thread through the film, as we see the world of coal through their eyes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

Full Review

Nancy B

This is a complex topic and Elaine McMillion Sheldon tackled it beautifully. She told the story from many perspectives to capture the complicated issues surrounding the coal industry. The cinematography is superb. The story has stuck with me for months as I keep contemplating the issues.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

Mike C

So incredibly well done, so unobtrusive, feels like a narrative … the pacing, editing, storytelling is on par with Hoop Dreams. The narration, native connections, musical score and imagery are brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/10/23

Full Review

Reverend P

This is a pro coal documentary. This film approaches a deep and meaningful subject with an air of whimsy. The guise of objectivity is what's being sold here. In truth, this film reinforces the common narrative of the existence of the coal industry as a natural presence and the innate powerlessness of the people to do anything about it. To suggest that the gravity of the violence and oppression forced upon this region for over a century at the hands of Big Coal as worth omitting in pursuit of an objective account is insulting. It is stories like this that further prolong the attainment of truth, justice, and healing for these communities. This is subversive propaganda that softens the hard edges of the harsh realities that reside within these stories, dressed up with stunning cinematography and an immersive soundscape. Overall I recommend watching it, with the prerequisites of Harlan County, USA and Blood on the Mountain. We cannot imagine a brighter future without knowing and accepting the past, so that we can move forward into freedom from the chains of industry and government. The art that emerges from this culture is born of pain and the two cannot be separated. Darkness and light.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/23

Full Review

Brian C

It's an eerie, visually beautiful film. The narration, by the director herself, serves as a compass from beginning to end. The two female protagonists—which it feels like I stretch to label them as—make you consider seeing this world through a perspective that would otherwise seem foreign to us. The music is percussive, at times haunting—though the film is never truly gloomy. It's a re-imagining of a subject Appalachians know too well by a woman who is of and has dedicated her art to this place. Because of that, she is able to keep the focus on the human beings touched by coal than on picking a side in the political and cultural tug-of-war. I loved it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/23

Full Review

Alysha S

The only problem with the film was the runtime (just 80 minutes). The story, interview subjects, and how cinematography was used to tell the story all was compelling.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/27/23

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Elaine McMillion Sheldon

Director

Elaine McMillion Sheldon

Narrator

Elaine McMillion Sheldon

Writer

Diane Becker

Producer

Shane Boris

Producer

Peggy Drexler

Producer

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

[A] beautiful film.

Oct 3, 2023

Full Review

Katie Rife

indieWire

“King Coal” finds its purpose... as a loose collection of segments covering different aspects of coal mining and culture in Appalachia crystallizes into a statement of hope for the region.

Rated: B

Aug 18, 2023

Full Review

Monica Castillo

RogerEbert.com

Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s poetic documentary “King Coal” is a lyrical tribute to the place she calls home.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 11, 2023

Full Review

David Lynch

KENS 5 TV (San Antonio)

Sheldon, able to infuse immense melancholy into the simple image of hand brushing across moss seeping into an inky tunnel, hardly puts herself at risk of shattering the stakes. The implications of her film shrinks and expands as organically as breathing.

Oct 8, 2023

Full Review

Brian Walter

Film Inquiry

King Coal is a rare work of art that manages to look forward precisely by looking backward, putting boundaries around the past only to make it part of the future.

Aug 25, 2023

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

King Coal is a visually artistic and poetic achievement in documentary filmmaking. In telling this intimate story about Appalachian coal mining culture, director/narrator Elaine McMillion Sheldon gives a cinematic equivalent of an entrancing mosaic.

Aug 21, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, KING COAL meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life, imagining the ways a community can re-envision itself. While deeply situated in the regions under the reign of King Coal, where McMillion Sheldon has lived and worked her entire life, the film transcends time and place, emphasizing the ways in which all are connected through an immersive mosaic of belonging, ritual, and imagination. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, KING COAL untangles the pain from the beauty, and illuminates the innately human capacity for change.

Director: Elaine McMillion Sheldon
Executive Producer: Heather A. Baldry, Katherine Drexler
Screenwriter: Elaine McMillion Sheldon
Distributor: Drexler Films
Production Co: Requisite Media, Cottage M, Fishbowl Films, Drexler Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 2023, Limited