According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts a 92% positive rating, based on 218 reviews, with an average rating of 7.71/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Driven by Michael Moore's sincere humanism, "Sicko" is a devastating, convincing, and very entertaining documentary about the state of America's health care." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". After its Cannes release, "Variety" described "Sicko" as "an affecting and entertaining dissection of the American health care industry".