Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

What Lies Upstream

Play trailer Poster for What Lies Upstream 2018 1h 29m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Investigative filmmaker Cullen Hoback uncovers the truth behind a massive chemical spill that leaves 300,000 West Virginians without drinking water.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

What Lies Upstream

Critics Reviews

View More
Robert Abele Los Angeles Times 01/11/2018
By acknowledging what isn't known about drinking water, but what should be illuminated about the mechanism behind it, "What Lies Upstream" proves an exemplary piece of advocacy filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Ben Kenigsberg New York Times 01/11/2018
Is "What Lies Upstream" persuasive in all respects? No. Will it make you think twice about what's gone unnoticed in your tap water? Absolutely. Go to Full Review
Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter 12/21/2017
This quietly chilling wake-up call is sure to be one of the most vital documentaries to hit theaters in 2018. Go to Full Review
Phil Guie Film-Forward.com 03/21/2019
4/5
Perhaps this new denouement is more provocative than the original; the overall content is certainly compelling enough to motivate audiences, or voters, to take action. Go to Full Review
Sr. Rose Pacatte National Catholic Reporter 04/13/2018
It seems to me that this timely new film establishes that the current attention given to Pruitt's living situation in Washington, D.C., and pay raises for officials in the EPA, are miniscule compared to the environmental disaster ahead. Go to Full Review
Chris Barsanti Film Journal International 01/11/2018
A powerful cri de couer about terrifyingly lax government oversight of the water supply. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
dave d 05/27/2019 If ignorance is truly bliss then this film isn't for you. If you like being informed about the government lying to you and you can handle people talking truth to power then you will thoroughly enjoy this documentary about the West Virginia Water crisis. I strongly recommend watching this and be prepared it's not pretty and frankly it's disgusting how screwed we cold all be without safe drinking water. A tip of the cap to documentarian Cullen Hoback who put together a great film. Final Score: 9.3/10 See more 09/14/2018 To pollute & get away with you must pollute the body politic even more than the water you sicken the population with. See more 04/08/2018 This was captivating, shocking and depressing. Extremely well put together, and good recounting of a very complicated story. I am a water scientist and I saw this as a sound analysis and explanation of some incredible challenges to the drinking water world. Everyone who drinks municipal water or fertilizes a lawn should see this. See more 03/23/2018 We like to think that our water is safe. The water company, state officials, doctors, scientists, federal agencies, politicians, reporters all have our backs right? The truth is we as a society REALLY don't want to admit that our water is unsafe because it's just too expensive to fix so instead we just awkwardly try to pretend that the high rates of autism, cancer, birth defects, asthma, etc. are mysteriously caused by something else. See more Greg R @itsgregsworld 01/16/2018 America is one sick sick country. Disgusting. See more Read all reviews
What Lies Upstream

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Icarus 92% 93% Icarus Watchlist TRAILER for Icarus The Devil We Know 100% 88% The Devil We Know Watchlist TRAILER for The Devil We Know Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee 100% 76% Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee Watchlist Casting JonBenét 81% 49% Casting JonBenét Watchlist TRAILER for Casting JonBenét Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton 74% 79% Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton Watchlist TRAILER for Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Investigative filmmaker Cullen Hoback uncovers the truth behind a massive chemical spill that leaves 300,000 West Virginians without drinking water.
Director
Cullen Hoback
Producer
Cullen Hoback, Nitin Khanna, John Ramos
Screenwriter
Cullen Hoback
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 12, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 16, 2018
Runtime
1h 29m
Most Popular at Home Now