How to Blow Up a Pipeline Review + Theme Analysis

How to Blow Up a Pipeline is based on Andreas Malm's nonfiction book by the name and adapted for the screen by Daniel Goldhaber, Ariela Barer, and Jordan Sjol. Directed by Goldhaber, an environmental studies film major, the movie stars Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, and Jake Weary. #howtoblowupapipeline

How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a nail-biting heist film boosted by a powerful message and the performances of the cast. It's all good to muse about the effects of oil on the environment in theory but another to come face-to-face with people impacted by those effects.

Each person on the team has their own reason for taking action, but they unite as one to inflict damage on the titular pipeline. We learn their back stories throughout, of course leaving the most illuminating for the last act. These characters believe they are the heroes in this story, and viewers have to decide if they agree with that assessment.

If movies are platforms to engage with new ideas, this delivers in spades, while at the same time offering a riveting and engaging story. But the final message remains unclear.