Eco-political thrillers often find their activist messages overpowering the thrills, or, in simpler terms, they can come across too preachy to be engaging. Despite a crystal clear stance on its subject matter, How to Blow Up a Pipeline delivers the adrenaline rush you’d expect, and rarely feels like a story with a political agenda.
Just as the title states, the movie finds a group of environmental activists (or terrorists depending on your own political viewpoints) as they plan to blow up a pipeline, sending a message to the oil companies polluting the world. The viewer is thrown directly into the culmination of their efforts, with backstory and character motivations being filled in by flashbacks throughout. This narrative structure gets your heart racing immediately, as you know the basics of what’s going on, but almost none of the fine details.
Even with those character focused flashbacks, this is a lean thriller that gets right to the point and rarely takes a moment to breathe. Although I think adding a little more depth to the narrative and characters could’ve hurt the film’s strong sense of tension, it would’ve given everything a more personal and emotional touch, which is ultimately what it needed to be great.
How to Blow Up a Pipeline strikes a match and lights a short fuse immediately. It’s environmentally and politically motivated, but doesn’t over-preach the message it wants to convey. Don’t let this eco-thriller fly under your radar. It’s available to rent now on most VOD platforms.
3.5/5
Review by: Benjamin Garrett
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