Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- sardonic
- didactic
- uneasy
- socially conscious movie night
- discussion group
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film ambitious and socially incisive, with strong performances and memorable abattoir scenes, but less cohesive and forceful than its nonfiction source.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Big One hamburger investigation expands into an examination of slaughterhouse conditions, immigrant labor, corporate marketing, and ordinary consumption.
Don, Amber, migrant workers, managers, and activists provide connected perspectives on Mickey's supply chain and its workforce.
The plot explicitly follows irregular immigrants and temp workers subjected to exploitation within industrial meat production.
The film mixes Richard Linklater's conversational humor with sustained criticism of fast food culture and corporate power.
Films like Fast Food Nation, and why
The Corporation
social critique of exploitative labor systems and institutional power, combining drama with pointed humor
Syriana
ensemble examination of American working-class life, economic inequality, and moral compromise
Food, Inc.
food-system exposé addressing industrial production, consumer culture, and corporate accountability
Slacker
Richard Linklater's conversational social observation, dry wit, and interwoven contemporary American lives
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Release Date
- 2006-11-17
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (416)
Cast
- Greg Kinnear
- Bobby Cannavale
- Paul Dano
- Luis Guzmán
- Ashley Johnson
- Kris Kristofferson
- Patricia Arquette
- Ethan Hawke
- Avril Lavigne
- Esai Morales
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Fast Food Nation about?
- A marketing executive’s investigation into contaminated fast food exposes the human, animal, and economic costs hidden inside America’s industrial hamburger machine.
- What is Fast Food Nation like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Fast Food Nation as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Fast Food Nation violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Fast Food Nation as graphic.
- What did critics think of Fast Food Nation?
- Critics broadly found the film ambitious and socially incisive, with strong performances and memorable abattoir scenes, but less cohesive and forceful than its nonfiction source.
- Which films are like Fast Food Nation?
- Films with a similar feel include The Corporation, Syriana, Food, Inc., and Slacker.
- How long is Fast Food Nation?
- Fast Food Nation runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch Fast Food Nation?
- In United States, Fast Food Nation is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
