The Great Chicken Wing Hunt

Like a lot of great storytellers before him, Matt Reynolds is obsessed. Unlike a lot of those artists, who have been obsessed with everything from a woman to a great white whale, Reynolds is obsessed with the wings of a flightless farmyard bird – particularly when they are fried to golden perfection and dipped in a spicy sauce. The lengths that he goes to find the perfect chicken wing are impressive, if a bit nuts: 16 days, 72 stops, 2,627 miles and 270 types of wings. If this was a Food Network special, the film would be all about the wings, how they are made and what makes that special one perfect. While the ultimate goal of the trip may be to find that perfect wing, the film is more of an exploration of obsession, friendship and endurance than about anything the people in the film actually eat. You get just enough back-story on each of the people that Reynolds invites along on his quest to make them stand out as individuals, and the way they all deteriorate along the way as the miles and chicken bones pile up is fascinating.