Forks Over Knives Review: Why This Must-See Film Still Inspires

Discover how the groundbreaking documentary Forks Over Knives continues to reshape the conversation about health, diet, and disease prevention.

Los Angeles, California, September 19th, 2025 – When Forks Over Knives premiered in 2011, it changed the way millions of people thought about food. This landmark documentary made a bold claim: many of the chronic diseases afflicting modern society—heart disease, diabetes, even certain cancers—could not only be prevented but, in some cases, reversed by adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet.

Directed by Lee Fulkerson, the film centers on the pioneering work of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. Together, they presented decades of research and clinical experience showing that diet can play a powerful role in shaping health outcomes.

The film’s title comes from the idea of choosing a fork over a knife—food as a tool for health, instead of surgery or medication as a last resort.

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The Heart of the Film

What makes Forks Over Knives so compelling is its blend of science and storytelling. We meet everyday people facing life-threatening conditions: patients with clogged arteries, uncontrolled diabetes, or multiple prescriptions. Instead of continuing down the path of invasive surgeries and lifelong medications, they chose to transform their diets.

The results were striking. Many experienced significant improvements in their health—lower cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, weight loss, and in some cases, the reversal of heart disease symptoms.

Interwoven with these stories are expert testimonies from physicians, nutritionists, and scientists, all pointing toward the same conclusion: what we eat matters more than we’ve been taught to believe.

“Some people think plant-based eating is extreme. Half a million people a year will have their chest opened up and a vein taken from their leg and sewn into their heart. That’s extreme.” – Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D.

Lasting Impact

The influence of Forks Over Knives reached far beyond the screen. It helped ignite a global movement, inspiring cookbooks, a meal-planning app, a popular website, and an entire community of people seeking better health through food.

For many, the documentary served as a wake-up call—a clear, hopeful message that personal choices could alter the trajectory of their health. For others, already curious about plant-based eating, it was the spark that pushed them to take the next step.

Even more than a decade later, the film continues to be one of the most-referenced documentaries in the plant-based movement.

What’s Changed Since 2011

Since Forks Over Knives was released in 2011, its core message has only been strengthened by new research and growing public awareness:

• Heart health: Major organizations like the American Heart Association now recognize that plant-forward eating patterns significantly reduce cardiovascular risks.

• Diabetes: Clinical studies have confirmed that whole-food, plant-based diets can play a key role in preventing and even reversing Type 2 diabetes.

• Environment: While the film focuses mainly on health, today’s research highlights even more strongly how plant-based diets reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption.

• Mainstream adoption: What was once fringe is now mainstream. Schools, hospitals, and even government dietary guidelines are increasingly incorporating plant-based options.

In short: the science has caught up with the message.

Why You Should Watch It Now

If you’ve never seen Forks Over Knives, this is the perfect time to discover the documentary that sparked a movement. And, if you watched it years ago, revisiting it can be just as powerful—a reminder of how far the plant-based conversation has come, and how much further it can go.

On UnchainedTV, the film finds a natural home among other inspiring stories about food, health, and compassion. Together, they paint a bigger picture: one where choosing plants over animal products isn’t just about diet—it’s about building a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Forks Over Knives remains a vital documentary because it gives us hope. It reminds us that even small, daily choices can transform our lives and ripple outward into the world.