Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
It is happening all across America-rural landowners wake up one day to find a lucrative offer from an energy company wanting to lease their property. Reason? The company hopes to tap into a reservoir dubbed the "Saudi Arabia of natural gas." Halliburton developed a way to get the gas out of the ground-a hydraulic drilling process called "fracking"-and suddenly America finds itself on the precipice of becoming an energy superpower.
Gasland arrived at a pivotal moment and brought hydraulic fracturing—fracking—into mainstream public consciousness in a genuinely distinctive way. Josh Fox's personal, first-person documentary voice gave it a singular tone that set it apart from conventional environmental docs. The iconic image of tap water catching fire became a cultural touchstone. The plot follows a clear investigative arc that is engaging if occasionally meandering. Acting is not really applicable in a traditional sense, but Fox's on-camera presence is earnest rather than polished, and some interview subjects are more compelling than others—hence a below-average score for that dimension. Cinematography is competent and occasionally striking but not exceptional. The ending drives home its activist message but doesn't fully resolve the emotional journey in a satisfying way.