Fantastic Fungi

Even though majority of the film feels to be informercial, I enjoyed it very much. "Mushroom voice" was a bit strange and the feeling of disbelief would not leave me at some moments. But in the end, this Psilocybin thing is acknowledged by FDA and seems to truly help people. So I do not mind this to be informercial in order to spread the word. The story is touching enough and the visuals are just tops.

Love fungi, love the photographic work in this flick, and very much appreciate where the folks who directed the production want to "mainstream" fungi.

More folks *need* to understand how important fungi are. It's also a wonderful ponder to reflect on how higher fungi grow and reproduce.

But... geez... did they *have to* inject specious pseudoscientific stuff about how a mycelial mass is like a brain, and trees use those masses to "communicate" with each other?

I'm about 99% sure the stuff they're implying is a weird romanticization of fungi... and that's (pardon the mixed metaphor) "gilding the lily", seeing how the "lily" (fungi) are deeply fascinating, without the added speculation.

Folks are also chiming in to deride the infomercial-ish 2nd half of the flick... but the stuff I describe just above--the stuff that rubs me so wrong--kicks in only about 12% into the production.

They could have kept it more grounded and scientific, and STILL been able to convey a scientifically grounded awe about fungi.

So... as much as I wished this flick could be the audio-visual poster-boy intro to that amazing world for the newbie... these affronts leave me unable to recommend it to those newbies.

And that's a shame.

It only gets as many stars as I give it because 1) the complementary payload of honest, scientific info is nice, and 2) Geez, but those visuals are amazing!

Mushrooms may not kill cancer or reduce the anxiety of dying, but how would we know unless they are researched?

This is a visually satisfying film about mycology. It shows many of the ways we depend on fungus and how many more ways we could use it. It hints at the War on Drugs, and how it set back research 50 years. It does not talk about the double problems of Big Pharma or the petrochemical business in hampering it, but it should.

We live in a wonderful world, of which we are a small part. We should be grateful for the oddballs who are trying new ways to save us.

My subject line says it all, and I basically find myself in agreement with most of this documentary's critics. The time-lapse photography of sprouting mushrooms, branching molds, etc., is breathtaking. The narration that accompanies it is empty, useless, disorganized to the point of incoherence, filled with random claims about the wonders and cosmic significance of fungi, and ultimately a bore. The decision to focus on the biography of one individual mushroom maven seems particularly misguided.

Greetings again from the darkness. Why did the mushroom get invited to the party? Because he's a fun guy (fungi)! That joke works better when spoken rather than read, but it made me laugh as a kid, even though it wasn't enough to keep me (and half my classmates) awake during those dull science films in junior high. Documentarian Louie Schwartzberg obviously stayed awake in class, and now he's showing us how those films should be made ... interesting, informative and entertaining.

"We brought life to Earth. You can't see us. We are mushrooms!" Narrator Brie Larson (yes, Captain Marvel herself) introduces fungus, or more accurately, fungi ... since we are told there are 1.5 million species - 20,000 of which produce mushrooms. Despite the presence of Ms. Larson, this isn't a superhero movie. No, it's much more important. In fact, the real star of the documentary - other than fungi - is an amateur mycologist named Paul Stamets. That's right, this informative project devotes much of its time to some guy who just likes science (oh my, does he like it); specifically, the study of fungus and mushrooms. He even tells us some of his personal story, allowing us to connect with a guy who is proud to be known as a mushroom nerd.

Director Schwartzberg is an accomplished documentarian, and noted time-lapse photographer and visual artist. He even uses impressive digital animation periodically to guide us along. He's also smart enough to complement Mr. Stamets' observations with input from real life scientists, as well as authors and researchers. Admittedly, it's not really fair to classify Stamets as an amateur. He has written books and his research has been invaluable to some of the world's foremost experts.

You may wonder why you should care about fungi. Heck, it's described as something between vegetable and animal. We hear that it's been around since the beginning, and that it plays a role in rebirth, reincarnation, and regeneration. This is shown via a memorable time-lapse segment, and with the bold proclamation that Mycelium is "the mother of us all." We learn how fungi is such a vital part of our existence through medical research, penicillin (and chees), antibiotics, bio-terrorism, psychedelics, and now even the treatment of depression and cancer. Fungi can feed you (it's good on pizza), heal you, and even kill you. The film is quite a fascinating and educational treat ... and a lesson in biological resilience. And I never once fell asleep - my junior high teacher wouldn't believe it.