‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ rave reviews: Timely eco-thriller ‘hits like a freight train’
On April 7, Neon released “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” from director and co-writer Daniel Goldhaber. The film based on Andreas Malm‘s 2021 book of the same name is about a crew of environmental activists who plot a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline. The timely thriller stars Ariela Barer, Kristine Froseth, Lukas Gage, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane and Marcus Scribner.
Following its premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival, “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” became an instant hit with critics. It currently holds a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, “An explosive adaptation of Malm’s treatise, ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ delivers a high-stakes eco-thriller ignited by riveting and complex antiheroes.” Read our full review round-up below.
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Brian Tallerico (RogerEbert.com) writes, “Daniel Goldhaber’s kinetic, riveting ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ was like nothing else I saw at TIFF. It has a gritty texture to it that’s unusual in a festival typically dominated by over-polished, big studio fare.” He added, “And I think Neon was very smart to pick it up out of TIFF—it’s a movie that’s going to have a lot of young fans, people inspired by its intensity and ability to take a relatively dry concept like climate change and use it to fuel a heist thriller.” The film also foes the impossible and “makes the political personal here, which gives the action emotional stakes instead of just global ones.” Tallerico concludes, “I keep telling my kids that theirs is the generation that’s really going to drive the climate change conversation—I like that this angry film will influence that discussion.”
Jourdain Searles (The Playlist) says, “Daniel Goldhaber’s sophomore feature refutes this myth, depicting climate activism as a natural, logical response to the catastrophic state of the world.” A number of aspects of the are praised, from the sound to the score, which is “reminiscent of the pulsing ’80s synth sound resurrected by recent films like ‘Drive’ and ‘Mandy’– [it] transports us to a time when thrillers were more carefully constructed.” Searles concludes, “Truly radical art interrogates the rigid parameters of government in search of more human truth, one that considers the possibility that people in power have very little understanding of what is good for the populace. Goldhaber approaches a statement like that here.”
Kyle Pinion (Screen Rex) praises the film, writing, “At just a little over 100 minutes, it is a lean film, and hits like an absolute freight train – not only in its larger political message of direct action and sabotage as the strongest means of creating change, but also in its group composition. These aren’t all left leaning twitter users, but instead you have college age activists, someone who has literally lost a family member due to the impact these industries have had on the environment, a Native American who has grown disaffected with the passive nature of the efforts he’s taken part in to date, and even someone who might be seen as traditionally right-leaning joining the cause due to the encroachment of eminent domain.” In conclusion, the film is “essential viewing.”
Abe Friedtanzer (AwardsWatch) praises the film after pointing out “The word ‘pipeline’ has become politically charged, and this film’s title does away with any remaining ambiguity about where it falls on the subject.” He adds, “Director Daniel Goldhaber describes his film as the ‘Ocean’s Eleven for environmental activism,’ which is an effective way to explain its general tone and mood.” The cast is praised with several standouts that seem poised for superstardom. “It will surely be cited and targeted by those who brand it liberal propaganda, something its title invites and wears as a badge of pride. While it does serve as ample fodder for debate and spirited conversation, it also manages to be a thoroughly engaging film with a self-contained story that’s more than simply a political message.”
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