Patrick Creadon’s last feature-length documentary was
Wordplay—a zippy film that followed the math-inclined
word-savants who love, create and competitively solve crossword
puzzles. Apparently, Creadon decided it was a good idea to follow up
Wordplay‘s low-stakes fun by scaring the crap out of people.
Enter I.O.U.S.A., a terrifying look at the United States’
mountainous debt problems—most unrelated to the current
recession—and the impending decline of the American empire. Creadon
lays on the “we’re jeopardizing our grandchildren’s future” dramatics a
little thick. But I.O.U.S.A. is an otherwise engaging, smart,
clear documentary about stagflation and trade
deficits—seriously!—and a supremely scary horror movie.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2009.