a special thanks to our wonderful publicists at MPRM for helping get the word out about KING COAL
To practice humanitarian patience in representing a chronically misunderstood culture is commendable in its own right, but to go beyond journalistic objectivity and strive to become a proud and personable work of art? That might just be something new altogether.
The Best Documentaries of 2023
The Film Stage
The Best Documentaries of 2023 (So Far)
Esquire
Melancholic, thoughtfully attuned cinematic essay
The New York Times (Critic’s Pick)
Breathtaking
Wall Street Journal
Eloquently layered piece of creative nonfiction
Film Matters Magazine
Lush in presentation and sober in meaning, the film is an artistic triumph.
Film Festival Today
A highly expressive, poetic film; to call it a documentary feels like something of a misdirection
Film Obsessive
Transcends mere documentation, evolving into cinematic art.
Overly Honest Movie Reviews
A poignant documentary finds hope for the future
New Scientist
A lyrical tribute
RogerEbert.com
A genuine piece of cinematic art at the highest level
Unseen Films
King Coal is a rare work of art that manages to look forward precisely by looking backward, putting boundaries around the past only to make it part of the future.
Film Inquiry
A glimpse into a world most of us don’t have a lot of insight into.
Film Threat
King Coal is an odyssey—an epic poem in the form of a film.
Alliance of Women Film Journalists
The Most Anticipated Docs of 2023
Esquire
King Coal is not merely a history; it is a ghost story, an exercise in remembrance, and a cinematic archive.
Film Daze
This film deserves to become a centerpiece of cultural discussion for multiple generations to come.
Geek Vibes Nation
Illuminating, Insightful Cine-Essay.
Screen Anarchy
Thanks to this unique vision that goes beyond the simple headlines or prejudices about the area, Sheldon’s poetic documentary is both welcoming and wonderful.
POV Magazine
Sheldon has a style of her own – impressionistic, atmospheric, searching.
Crooked Marquee
It really does feel as if she’s looking directly into the soul of the community for answers, with Curren Sheldon’s arresting cinematography illuminating the resilience of those who have stuck around and unlocking the wonder still in the air that makes it feel that there’s something still untapped in the region that’s been left for dead.
Moveable Fest
An atmospheric, evocative elegy for Central Appalachia. Sheldon envisions a future built on the sturdy foundation of King Coal’s past, but one that soars beyond its crushing darkness.
The Playlist
Appalachia Rises in Poetic, Personal Doc
Indie Wire
Reveals a resilience that’s hard to shake
Next Best Picture
A startling piece of anthropology
Paste Magazine