Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Message movie argues for activism via sabotage.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
What's the Story?
In HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE, eight young people from different backgrounds assemble in Texas to blow up an oil pipeline as a form of protest. Theo (Sasha Lane) and Xochitl (Ariela Barer) are childhood friends; Theo has been diagnosed with leukemia due to toxic pollution near their home. Michael (Forrest Goodluck) has taught himself to make homemade bombs. Dwayne (Jake Weary) is a married homeowner whose land has been seized by the government. Rowan (Kristine Froseth) and her boyfriend, Logan (Lukas Gage), are a Bonnie and Clyde-like pair of eco-saboteurs. A friend of Xochitl's, Shawn (Marcus Scribner), and Theo's girlfriend, Alisha (Jayme Lawson), also join in. The plan has been percolating for a long time, but as it finally goes into motion, several unexpected factors threaten to trip them up.
Is It Any Good?
This full-on propaganda movie tries to energize its message-heavy core by building it as a multistep, suspenseful heist tale, and, aside from the thinly drawn characters, it mostly succeeds. Based on a nonfiction book by Andreas Malm, How to Blow Up a Pipeline takes the stance that sabotage is an acceptable form of protest, as it hits a most effective target: the wallet and the pocketbook. Director and co-writer Daniel Goldhaber (of the creepy horror movie Cam) and co-writers Ariela Barer (who also plays Xochitl) and Jordan Sjol structure their movie with a series of flashbacks, introducing each of the characters, their connections to one another, and why they're interested in radical activism. Unfortunately, perhaps due to time or pacing, the movie neglects to let viewers know who they are, outside of their anger and their actions. As a result, there's an emotional detachment. Still, How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a bold movie, demonstrating that, for better or worse, there are always ways of taking back power.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about How to Blow Up a Pipeline's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do you agree with the characters who are committing acts of sabotage as part of their activism? Why, or why not?
Do you consider these characters role models? What are their motivations for becoming activists?
Did you notice positive diverse representation in the movie? Why is that important?
How are drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 7, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : August 18, 2023
- Cast : Sasha Lane , Ariela Barer , Marcus Scribner
- Director : Daniel Goldhaber
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Indigenous Movie Actor(s) , Polynesian/Pacific Islander Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Neon
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : Activism
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language throughout and some drug use
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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