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How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023)

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023)

A rousing, relevant, and radical look at do-it-yourself justice

The Very Best

8.0

Movie

United States of America
English
Crime, Drama, Thriller
2023
DANIEL GOLDHABER
Ariela Barer, Brian Landis Folkins, Calhoun Koenig
104 min

What it's about

A crew of young environmental activists execute a daring mission to sabotage an oil pipeline.

The take

On the one hand, How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a tense thriller—an excellently set-up heist that makes you wonder, until the end, whether the low-budget operation succeeds or not. On the other hand, it’s a thoughtful rumination on the evil and influence of Big Oil, which despite its relentless destruction of environments and communities, continues to run scot-free. 

Together, these parts make for a powerful, nerve-racking film about both the danger and necessity of eco-terrorism—a radical act that is impressively humanized and spared from caricature here. How to Blow Up a Pipeline's themes may be big and its means explosive, but its rich characterizations of the young activists ground it into a relatable reality. One is dying due to toxins released by the nearby plant, another is forced to give up his property to make way for the construction of a pipeline. All are tired of the fruitlessness of government promises and peaceful protests. Rousing and relevant, there's never been a more timelier film than this. 

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