Supersize Me (2004) Review

Back in the early ‘2000s, during the continuous uprising of fast-food restaurants all over the world, Morgan Spurlock dared to do an experiment a lot of people around him had done without documenting: eat only items at McDonald’s for thirty days.

Here are the rules: (1) he has two eat McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; (2) he needs to consume every item on the menu; (3) consumption of food other than McDonald’s is strictly prohibited. He must buy bottled water for his daily dose of H2O; and lastly, (3) when the order taker offered Super Size as the meal’s size, he must accept the upgrade.

Spurlock’s food adventure is documented in the award-winning Supersize Me, a documentary that earned him an Academy Award nomination. The documentary is a clean presentation of gluttony in an era wherein overindulgence has become a part of everyone’s norm.

On his first day of ‘Operation McDonald’s,’ Spurlock seems to have the time of his life. Imagine being obligated to eat Big Mac and a lot of potato fries. It could be the dream of many.

Then came the side effects. A few days after, Spurlock experienced nausea and random vomits. Not long enough, he gained a lot of weight, had depression and heart palpitations, and lastly, his energy and sex drive deflated. His doctors have advised him to stop his experiment by Day 21, but that will not stop him and quit.

He eventually finished his thirty-day experiment, but you can feel that something is not right. Aside from the dramatic changes in his body, Spurlock came out as a different man.

Supersize Me is a fascinating watch from beginning to end. It is a documentary that is fearless without being loud.

Throughout the documentary, Spurlock has made creative ways to scrutinize McDonald’s as a conglomerate with dubious practices. In one scene, he performed a comparative test observing how McDonald’s burger and fries decompose through time. We later discovered that the items barely decomposed and that the digestion process inside a human’s body could be terrifyingly similar.

Of course, a lot of videos on YouTube have since tried and tested this. But in 2004, when this was released, the entire thing is groundbreaking if not, a traumatizing sight for many. It will be no surprise if you see a vlogger recreate the very same experiment Spurlock has conducted for this documentary.

It is surprising to see how Supersize Me still holds up today. While “healthier” options have been added in a lot of fast-food restaurants today in hopes to redeem health-conscious consumers, the industry is still kicking up with the classic, greasier offerings.

Supersize Me is still essential viewing. Its clear messaging has proved why documentaries like these, one that is courageous to take on the big guys on their suit and ties, have managed to stay effective and important.

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