Synopsis:
With the climate crisis at a point of no return, a group of environmental activists come up with a daring plan to make their voices heard and disrupt an oil pipeline.
Review:
“How to Blow Up a Pipeline” is a new thriller that focuses on environmental activists who are taking direct action against pipelines, which they view as harmful to the environment and contributing to climate change. It’s a tense thrill ride that will keep your heart pounding throughout the film.
Audiences may find the movie off-putting as it doesn’t take the high road toward the government and pipelines. It is important to remember that engaging in illegal activities can result in harm, destruction, and legal consequences, and it is crucial to prioritize nonviolent and peaceful means of advocating for change.
However, while watching ‘How To Blow Up a Pipeline’ I put political agendas aside. For some that may not be as easy to do as it is a touchy subject that will be divisive. Daniel Goldhaber’s technique in creating a dark and gritty atmosphere for How To Blow Up a Pipeline is impeccable. One of the most fascinating sequences that create that dark and gritty atmosphere, is when one of the self-taught bombers buying supplies from a store and shows us on his social media channel what he bought with a specific budget. As he tests out his equipment it becomes increasingly intense when the camera zones in on him working on the equipment the music intensifies and makes you feel uncomfortable. The film also boosts a terrific ensemble of young actors that all give their A-Game which is similar to the 1986 film ‘Rivers Edge’. Sasha Lane is a talented actress, she continues to prove that with her role as Theo. Someone who has nothing to lose and that will go up against the Government’s pipelines in her area.
As the plot progresses there are some issues with keeping the plot progression focused. We understand the need for backstories where we care about specific characters, however, here in How To Blow Up A Pipeline, there are too many characters to give everyone a flashback in the movie to show us why they’re fighting for the cause. That’s the biggest issue to be found in the film, they easily could have edited out 15 minutes of the film, when the screenwriter was thinking of all the backstories it would have been better as a montage and not doing it for every character. For instance, there is a sequence of one the self-taught bombers beating up workers near his house that works for the Government owned pipelines. We could have done away with that to make his character more likable and relatable toward the end. If they chose to edit the little things like that out of the movie to focus on the bigger picture it would have worked a lot better.
Yet, How To Blow Up A PIpeline is a movie that is meant to be seen on the big screen with an audience that will be on the edge of their seats. Nothing beats being totally surprised by a tense movie at the theater, luckily for us, NEON is pushing this film in Cinemas as well.
Overall Grade: 3.5/5 Stars
