70
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIt accomplishes an amazing thing. It explains the national debt, the foreign trade deficit, the decrease in personal savings, how the prime interest rate works, and the weakness of our leaders.
- 88Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaPhiladelphia InquirerSteven ReaThere'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.
- 80VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangHighly informative documentary reps a heady mix of charts, graphs and talking heads... superb packaging and timely subject matter.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThis smartly assembled wake-up call concerning the nation's lousy spending habits proves to be as unexpectedly spirited as it is dispiriting.
- 80Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesChicago ReaderJ.R. JonesThey deliver a clear and compelling primer on the federal budget deficit, the trade deficit, and the personal debt crisis, all of which are driving our country toward a catastrophic financial meltdown.
- Packed with facts, figures and the testimony of policy experts, the film is no wallow in wonkiness, though, but a surprisingly sprightly tough-love lesson in fiscal responsibility.
- 75The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinThough the filmmaking is playful at times, the film is essentially 90 percent message, 10 percent movie.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisEqual parts enlightening and alarming.
- 60Village VoiceVillage VoiceBoth a handy election primer and a bowel-rattling cry of fiscal doom.
- 50Washington PostPhilip KennicottWashington PostPhilip KennicottThere is a difference between the importance of a film's subject and the quality of a film's execution. And the execution is lacking. The film just isn't, well, very interesting.