How to Blow Up a Pipeline

The motives, difficulties and dangers surrounding eco-activism are stirringly brought home in this loose adaptation of Andreas Malm's non-fiction book. After experiencing first-hand the health consequences of climate change, best friends Xochitl (Ariela Barer) and Theo (Sasha Lane) convene with five like-minded strangers for an act of radical protest: sabotaging a west Texas oil pipeline with self-built bombs. They argue that vandalism can be used in self-defence, while understanding that they will likely be branded terrorists. The resulting film is both a nuanced protest procedural and a white-knuckle heist drama. Director Daniel Goldhaber astutely splits the story into chapters that focus on each of the activists individually, and the non-linear structure effectively dials up the tension. With its well-judged performances, particularly from Barer, this is a taut and breathless thriller with a sharp political edge.