Watch The Widowmaker

The movie The Widowmaker is a medical documentary from 2015, directed by Patrick Forbes and narrated by Gillian Anderson. It tells the story of the coronary artery disease, which is the leading cause of death in the western world. The documentary mainly focuses on the coronary angiogram, a noninvasive test that allows doctors to see the inside of the heart vessels. The film demonstrates how this test can diagnose and potentially save patient lives. It also delves into the area of medical research that studies how blockages occur in the arteries and how doctors can predict and prevent them.

One of the most striking aspects of the documentary is its portrayal of how the medical establishment ignored or suppressed the findings of Dr. Paul M. Ridker, a Harvard Medical School professor, who discovered a blood test that could predict a heart attack long before it occurred. The stakeholders of the pharmaceutical industry were at first reluctant to embrace the test, as it focused on the inflammation of the arteries rather than just the buildup of cholesterol. However, the film shows how this approach has changed over the years, and many now see Ridker’s work as a vital part of heart disease prevention.

Another central theme of the documentary is the invention of coronary stents, a cardiac procedure that can unclog arteries and improve blood flow to the heart. The film goes into great detail to show the history of this procedure and how it has evolved over the years. It highlights different stent types and their efficacy, specifically focusing on the Palmaz-Schatz stent, a revolutionary invention by Dr. Julio Palmaz that was first introduced in 1993. Palmaz’s stent is still in use today and is a vital tool used by doctors to preserve and save the lives of patients who suffer from heart artery blockages.

The Widowmaker is an educational and informative film that explores various aspects of the heart disease, from prevention to diagnosis to treatment. It is well researched and well presented, using interviews with renowned cardiologists, researchers, and patients. The film accurately depicts the complex and technical nature of cardiology while making it accessible to the layman.

Visually, the movie is stunning, with images of the human heart and its arteries which are rendered with detail and clarity. The film uses a combination of real-life medical footage and computer graphics to show the intricacies of the heart and the arteries. The animation created for the film is particularly impressive, with 3D reconstructions of coronary arteries and stents that help explain the heart’s physiology in a way that is both stunning and accessible.

Overall, The Widowmaker is an engaging, well-constructed and thought-provoking documentary that addresses the globally relevant issue of heart disease. It uses a combination of interviews, medical animation, and real-life footage to explore the key issues in cardiology. It manages to strike the delicate balance between informative and emotional, educational and entertaining, without ever trivializing the subject matter. The documentary is an essential viewing for anyone interested in the heart health, and it highlights the importance of heart disease prevention, early diagnosis, and innovative treatment.

The Widowmaker is a 2015 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.9 and a MetaScore of 70.