Into the Weeds

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.

Into the Weeds: Dewayne “Lee” Johnson vs. Monsanto Company is a cautionary environmental story, that raises unsettling questions about what’s in the food we eat, and how our farming practices are affecting the biosphere.

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.

Into the Weeds lives up to its title, thanks to having to boil complex science, a wide-ranging tragedy and scandal and mini profiles of those trapped in it or fighting in court into a 96 minute film. The film is a lot to digest and can feel cluttered and rushed, saving time for a long rap by aspiring musician Johnson in the closing scene.

The movie makes clear just how difficult it is for one person to take on a corporation that has vast resources, dexterity in countering evidence and — the film argues — unfairly easy access to regulators.