How To Blow Up A Pipeline – overview & where to watch legally
Director: Daniel Goldhaber
Starring: Ariela Barer, Jayme Lawson, Jake Weary
Based on Andreas Malm’s 2021 book of the same name
The “Eco-thriller” genre might be quite niche, but ‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ (2022, Daniel Goldhaber) can’t be described in any other way. Not only does it manage to entertain, but the movie also manages to tackle some very weighty subjects relating to the evironment.
What’s the movie about?
The film follows 8 young eco activists who decide to blow up an oil pipeline in West Texas at two key locations in an act of radical environmental action. The group hope that by destroying the pipeline, crude oil prices will skyrocket worldwide.
The story explores the moral challenges of such extreme forms of activism in the face of issues such as man-made climate change.
How was it received?
The film was positively reviewed by movie critics, and is currently sat with a near-perfect 95% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, some critics questioned the messaging of the film, particularly around the ethics of this type of environmental activism. The characters in the film feel that non-disruptive protest isn’t getting them anywhere in their goal to halt the climate crisis, and that they have no choice but to take such extreme measures.
Where to watch it legally (July 2026)?
If you’re based in the USA, you can currently watch the movie via Hulu, as well as Kanopy, a service you can access for free via your local library.
If you’d like to rent or buy the movie, it’s available via Prime Video and Apple from $3.99