Into the Weeds

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2:24

Into the Weeds

2023

1h 36m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

100%

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12 Reviews

57%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Does the most widely used weed killer in the world cause cancer? Into the Weeds: Dewayne "Lee" Johnson vs. Monsanto Company follows the story of groundskeeper Lee Johnson and his fight for justice against agrichemical giant Monsanto (now Bayer, which bought the company in 2018), the manufacturer of the weed killer, Roundup. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate -- the active ingredient in Roundup -- as "probably carcinogenic to humans." A year later, Lee Johnson filed a lawsuit claiming that Ranger Pro, a commercial-grade variant of Roundup, was a substantial contributing factor in causing his Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Johnson's was the first 'bellwether' case in a mass tort against Monsanto involving tens of thousands of plaintiffs. Blending interviews, trial footage, news coverage and vérité, the film follows the progression of this groundbreaking trial, while also telescoping out to understand both ubiquity of use and its global repercussions.

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Ben Kenigsberg

New York Times

12/07/2023

[These] stories illustrate the breadth of the ecological and agricultural challenges that remain.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

05/17/2022

Through deft editing and a keen sense of detail, Baichwal manages to compress the case of Johnson vs. Monsanto Company into a superbly paced, tightly wound thriller.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

05/16/2022

Provides another illustration of coldblooded corporate denialism in the face of widespread harm.

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Bobby LePire

Film Threat

12/11/2023

9/10

Into The Weeds is a most satisfying but frustrating experience. The satisfaction comes from how well-made and engrossing the film proves to be. The frustrations lie in the true story being documented.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

11/29/2023

3/4

The format can feel like a hodgepodge at times, but the disturbing story is a riveting account of a capitalist conspiracy.

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Charles Solomon

FilmWeek (LAist)

10/21/2023

Very powerful. The problem is that it also rambles... If you were to cut it down a bit, it would make it stronger.

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Jennifer Baichwal

Director

Dewayne 'Lee' Johnson

Self

Cali Baldelomar

Self

Michelle Baldelomar

Self

Jennifer Baichwal

Writer

Jennifer Baichwal

Producer

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Into the Weeds: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Does the most widely used weed killer in the world cause cancer? Into the Weeds: Dewayne "Lee" Johnson vs. Monsanto Company follows the story of groundskeeper Lee Johnson and his fight for justice against agrichemical giant Monsanto (now Bayer, which bought the company in 2018), the manufacturer of the weed killer, Roundup. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate -- the active ingredient in Roundup -- as "probably carcinogenic to humans." A year later, Lee Johnson filed a lawsuit claiming that Ranger Pro, a commercial-grade variant of Roundup, was a substantial contributing factor in causing his Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Johnson's was the first 'bellwether' case in a mass tort against Monsanto involving tens of thousands of plaintiffs. Blending interviews, trial footage, news coverage and vérité, the film follows the progression of this groundbreaking trial, while also telescoping out to understand both ubiquity of use and its global repercussions.

Director: Jennifer Baichwal
Producer: Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier
Screenwriter: Jennifer Baichwal
Distributor: Fathom Events
Production Co: Mercury Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 8, 2023
Runtime: 1h 36m

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