The following is a compilation of informative and world-changing documentaries and films that have animal rights, veganism, human rights, or environmentalism as a core topic.
Earthlings
The film that every vegan talks about, for good reason. It is powerful in its imagery and speaks truths we should no longer ignore. Everyone who cares about animals should watch this film.
Watch Earthlings for free here
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret
Animal agriculture is the most environmentally destructive industry on the planet today. Cowspiracy investigates how and why, and uncovers big business interests that have impeded the frightening truth being kept from the masses.
Watch Cowspiracy on Netflix or here
Forks Over Knives
Degenerative diseases that afflict humans, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer can be controlled or even reversed by switching to a plant-based diet. Forks Over Knives explores this sensational but proven claim.
Watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix or get it here
Unity
In this sequel to Earthlings, Unity beautifully explores the reasons we aren’t yet able to coexist peacefully with fellow earth-dwellers, despite advances in technology, science, and philosophy. It is narrated by 100 strong voices of love and hope that inspire compassion and peace.
Watch Unity here
The Ghosts In Our Machine
The modern world and its economy is largely driven by animals and their products. The Ghosts In Our Machine is a powerful portrayal of the individuals who are too often over-looked, despite the immense cruelty they endure. It bridges the gap between animals as property and their sentience.
Watch The Ghosts In Our Machine here
Okja
Okja is an action-adventure film that tackles corporate-greed, animal activism, scientific ethics, and the value of human-animal relationships.
Watch Okja on Netflix
The Cove
Tucked away on the Japanese southeast coast is a little town with a big, terrible secret. Between the months of September to March, boats from Taiji’s harbour head out in search of migrating dolphins and pilot whales. Using techniques to deafen and frighten these sentient creatures, they’re able to herd them into a tiny bay, dubbed “The Cove”. There they select the prettiest to be trained and sold to marine parks around the globe, and the remainder of the pod are slaughtered. This 2009 documentary was groundbreaking in exposing this horrific industry, and continues to inspire animal activists to take action around the globe.
Watch The Cove on Netflix or here
Sharkwater
Rob Stewart’s breakthrough documentary Sharkwater exposes the exploitation and corruption surrounding the shark fin trade around the world. Be taken on a journey of our magnificent underwater world to the dark underworld that protects this most vile trade with threats and corruption. Sharks are vital for the ocean’s ecosystem, and as Sea Shepherd’s Paul Watson says – “If the oceans die, we die.”
Watch Sharkwater on Netflix or here
Revolution
Following on from Sharkwater, Rob Stewart delves deeper into one of humanity’s biggest threats – the collapse of our oceans.
Watch Revolution here
Blackfish
Blackfish was a key film in raising-awareness surrounding the plight of intelligent mammals kept in marine parks such as Sea World. Centred around the story of Tilikum, an orca kept in captivity from a young age, and the significant psychological toll this had on him, Blackfish questions our relationship with these animals and the blatant cruelty of separating them from their families and using them for entertainment.
Watch Blackfish on Netflix or here
Speciesism
This documentary explores factory farming and speciesism, a concept that humans are more important and therefore have dominion over other species. This distinction has led to the mass animal breeding and slaughter we see in factory farms today.
Watch Speciesism here
Lucent
Lucent explores the darker side of Australia’s pig farming industry, highlighting the day-to-day cruelty accepted by the industry as standard practice. Pigs are among the most intelligent beings on the planet, and yet they’re subjected to abject cruelty.
Watch Lucent for free here
What The Health
The makers of Cowspiracy return with another investigative documentary. What The Health explores the link between meat-eating and degenerative disease and the big health organisations’ voluntary ignorance and therefore complicity to the western world’s greatest health problems.
Watch What The Health here
Vegucated
Synopsis taken from getvegucated.com : Part sociological experiment and part adventure comedy, Vegucated follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. This entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who discover they can change the world one bite at a time.
Watch Vegucated here
Meat The Truth
This documentary draws attention to the link between intensive livestock production and climate change. Livestock production is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions today. The science is irrefutable, and the bleak outcome for future generations is clear. We need to move to plant-based diets for the sake of our planet.
Watch Meat The Truth here
Dominion (Coming 2018)
Watch the heart-wrenching trailer to the upcoming film, Dominion, from the creator of Lucent. This film will change people’s world-views about how we treat animals.
What are you favourites? What other films should we add to the list?