The Donut King

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1:47

The Donut King

Released Oct 30, 2020

1h 30m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy builds a multi-million dollar empire by baking America's favorite pastry -- the donut.

Critics Consensus

A documentary that's more than just a sweetly filling treat, The Donut King tells a real-life rags-to-riches story with genuine depth and breadth.

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Louise Rugendyke

Sydney Morning Herald

[An] overly long documentary that, while interesting, skips over some important details in the past decade or so of Ngoy’s life.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 26, 2022

Full Review

John Doyle

Globe and Mail

A fine if erratic documentary anchored in a food-business phenomenon.

Jun 1, 2021

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Alonso Duralde

TheWrap

It's a dizzying saga of ups and downs, and of one of this nation's most beloved sweet treats, and a fascinating tale of sacrifice, success, and hubris.

Nov 29, 2020

Full Review

Jane Freebury

The Canberra Times (Australia)

The Donut King is replete with lively, energetic characters and important social history, but I think the filmmaker could have drawn from her material more insight into the American Dream.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

John Serba

Decider

The movie intellectually stimulated me; it also made me hungry as hell.

Jun 2, 2021

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Gu keeps The Donut King an upbeat affair.

Rated: 3.0/4.0

Jan 26, 2021

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Tony S

A true story about a remarkable man who came to California from Cambodia as a child and became the Donut King of California. His work ethic, and that of his family resulted in a dynasty that employed other Cambodians and put a number of them on to the same path to success that he followed.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/25/23

Full Review

harrison r

Fascinating and excellent cautionary tale!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

greg r

Fascinating story, that could likely not be repeated in Trump's America. How fast we as a nation have fallen.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

3 Stories are told in this documentary: - How Cambodian refugees escaped war and genocide and came to the US - Ted's (the donut king) personal story. - How the donut business evolved over the decades and children of Cambodian immigrants are taking over their parents' businesses. The first 2 are absolutely incredible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

yes! I knew more than most about this particular, awesome Los Angeles situation but it was great to hear from so many stake holders -- and the longer story of Ted Ngoy himself is... so intense.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Inspirational. Good lessons to learn from both the successes and failures

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Alice Gu

Director

Ted Ngoy

Self

Farhad Amid

Producer

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The Donut King: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy builds a multi-million dollar empire by baking America's favorite pastry -- the donut.

Director: Alice Gu
Producer: Farhad Amid
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: Logan Industry
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 30, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 20, 2020
Runtime: 1h 30m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)