While still an under-represented subgenre, there has been an uptick in eco-terrorism movies as climate change becomes a bigger issue. Films such as The East, Night Moves, and even First Reformed have tackled the issue in recent years. Emerging as one of the most talked-about films from last year’s TIFF was director Daniel Goldhaber’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline, which NEON picked up and plans to release next month.
Based on Andreas Malm’s 2021 climate change manifesto, the film features a terrific ensemble cast with Ariela Barer (Marvel’s Runaways), Kristine Froseth (Sharp Stick), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Lukas Gage (Angelyne), Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant), Jayme Lawson (The Batman), and Jake Weary (It Follows), along with Irene Bedard, Marcus Scribner, and Olive Jane Lorraine.
Goldhaber, who also acts as editor of the film, is best known for his 2018 camgirl psychological horror, Cam. Barer, who was pretty awesome as Gert in Marvel’s Runaways series, is also a producer and co-writer alongside Goldhaber and Jordan Sjol.
The title says it all. Both a high-stakes heist thriller and an exploration of radical direct action in the activist fight against climate change, the story centers on a group of young environmentalists and their plan to sabotage an oil pipeline.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline opens in theaters on April 7th. I’m really looking forward to this one.
