The documentary world has come a good distance since Nanook of the North. Now thought-about the first-ever documentary, the silent movie first hit the large display screen within the Twenties and adopted the true lives of Quebec’s indigenous inhabitants, albeit with a couple of fictional scenes thrown in. Now, amid the rise of streaming platforms and their succession of hits like Tiger King, The Deepest Breath, and Planet Earth III, documentaries are extra widespread than ever.
Documentaries are highly effective sources of knowledge. However in addition they resonate with viewers as a result of they’re partaking, inventive examples of storytelling. The place easy info and figures wrestle, a documentary makes use of imagery and emotive language to signify the center of many points, whereas concurrently tugging on feelings.
The very best vegan documentaries streaming on Netflix and past
If you happen to’re within the temper to be immersed in a number of the greatest dilemmas the world is at the moment dealing with—but additionally want to study concerning the options we have already got at our fingertips—we’ve rounded up a number of the finest vegan documentaries obtainable to stream proper now.
‘How Not To Die’
1‘How To not Die’
In 2015, Michael Greger, MD, launched his ebook How To not Die, which explored the hyperlink between food plan and power illness. A decade later, the bestseller was tailored right into a documentary. Directed by Shaun Monson, the movie delves into Greger’s meticulous analysis on how what we eat shapes our well being, making his evidence-based arguments extra accessible than ever.
‘I May By no means Go Vegan’
2‘I May By no means Go Vegan’
Filmmaker Thomas Pickering heard the phrase “I may by no means go vegan” one too many occasions, so he determined to do one thing about it. Launched in 2024, I May By no means Go Vegan explores why, in actuality, most individuals can. It takes a deep dive into the frequent arguments in opposition to the approach to life and goals to debunk them one after the other. “I would like [viewers] to know what the science tells us about plant-based diets,” Pickering informed VegNews. “I would like them to really feel impressed by the skilled and non-professional athletes doing extraordinary issues on nothing however vegetation. I would like them to know the catastrophic affect animal agriculture is having on our planet.”
‘Christspiracy’
3‘Christspiracy’
The feature-length documentary Christspiracy—the newest chapter within the Cowspiracy, What the Well being, and Seaspiracy movie collection—goals to show why spiritual leaders all through the world disregard animal exploitation and the billions of animals slaughtered yearly. Co-directed by Kip Andersen and Kameron Waters, the movie explores the relationships between religions and animals by way of the lens of philosophy, sociology, and psychology. “We wish [audiences] to stroll away taking a look at themselves and asking, ‘What do I actually align with?’ How are they treating others? Does ‘do unto others’ embody animals? It’s actually about asking extra questions and persevering with the dialog,” Andersen beforehand informed VegNews.
‘They’re Making an attempt to Kill Us’
4‘They’re Making an attempt to Kill Us’
Developed by health professional and vegan activist John Lewis and What The Well being co-director Keegan Kuhn, They’re Making an attempt to Kill Us explores the intersections of food plan, poverty, and systemic racism. “We’re connecting the dots between food plan, illness, systemic racism, authorities, and business collusion, and the ability of artwork and artists to rework the world,” Lewis mentioned. The movie, produced by Billie Eilish and vegan NBA star Chris Paul, pulls the veil again to disclose how structural racism has result in elevated charges of power illness in communities of shade.
Netflix
5‘You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment’
In 2023, Stanford Drugs printed a groundbreaking research that examined the consequences of dietary habits on 22 units of twins. Within the research, one twin adopted a vegetable-rich omnivorous food plan, and the opposite adopted a vegetable-rich plant-based food plan. The researchers discovered that within the first 4 weeks, these on a plant-based food plan had decrease ranges of LDL ldl cholesterol and insulin, and so they misplaced weight. On Netflix, the must-see documentary collection You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment guides us by way of the experiment course of and outcomes—which shocked even the research authors themselves—in addition to the eye-opening historical past of the Commonplace American Weight loss program.
‘The Odor of Cash’
6 ‘The Odor of Cash’
Backed by Joaquin Phoenix and govt produced by Kata Mara, 2022’s The Odor of Cash is an exposé of environmental racism and takes a harrowing have a look at the affect of manufacturing facility farms on communities that encompass them. Observe the authorized battle between one North Carolina group and Smithfield Meals, one of many largest pork producers within the US.
‘Poisoned’
7 ‘Poisoned: The Soiled Reality About Your Meals’
In 2023, Poisoned: The Soiled Reality About Your Meals hit Netflix. The documentary takes a more in-depth have a look at grocery retailer cabinets and examines how the meals business’s systemic failures don’t simply harm animals and the planet, however they’re additionally placing individuals prone to harmful foodborne ailments.
‘Cowspiracy’
8 ‘Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret’
Launched in 2014, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, continues to be altering lives right this moment. The movie, which was directed by Andersen and produced by Kuhn, examines the true affect that animal agriculture is having on the surroundings, from deforestation to greenhouse gasoline air pollution to ocean useless zones. It additionally pulls again the curtain on business denial, as researchers, authors, audio system, activists, and animal advocates take viewers on a deep dive into the ugly fact: the meat we eat as a society is devastating the pure world.
‘Seaspiracy’
9‘Seaspiracy’
Produced by Andersen and directed by Ali Tabrizi, 2021’s Seaspiracy takes a deep and sobering have a look at the state of the fishing business. It not solely examines environmental points like plastic air pollution (a major proportion of which comes from issues like nets and features) but additionally the human value of business fishing. However, after all, it additionally explores the options to those points, certainly one of which is, maybe unsurprisingly, taking seafood off our plates.
‘Milked’
10‘Milked’
Milked, launched in 2021 and directed by Amy Taylor, is a feature-length documentary that follows activist Chris Huriwai as he travels all through New Zealand. On his journey, he exposes the nation’s multi-billion-dollar dairy business and the size of the affect it’s having on individuals and the planet. It’s one other wake-up name from govt producer Kuhn, who stars within the movie alongside environmentalists like Jane Goodall and Suzy Amis Cameron.
‘Consuming Our Option to Extinction’
11‘Consuming Our Option to Extinction’
Directed by Otto and Ludo Brockway and narrated by actor Kate Winslet, 2021’s Consuming Our Option to Extinction is strictly what the title says it’s going to be. Accompanied by awe-inspiring cinematography, the movie intends to be an eye-opening warning of what’s going to occur to us and the planet if nothing modifications with the meals system quickly. It options main environmental consultants, scientists, and world figures alongside highly effective appearances and first-hand accounts from indigenous individuals.
‘The Sport Changers’
12‘The Sport Changers’
Star-studded The Sport Changers—which counts James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and Lewis Hamilton amongst its govt producers—focuses on exposing the parable that meat is a obligatory a part of optimum athletic efficiency. Whereas many assume that consuming animal protein is a key a part of sporting success, the movie—which was directed by Louie Psihoyos—goals to exhibit the alternative is true. It spotlights world-renowned plant-based athletes like Patrik Baboumian (a record-holding strongman), Kendrick Farris (a record-holding weightlifter), and Dotsie Bausch (a US biking champion).
‘Earthlings’
13‘Earthlings’
It might have been launched within the mid-aughts, however 2005’s Earthlings, narrated by Phoenix and directed by Monson, continues to be related right this moment. Counting on hidden digicam footage, the documentary takes goal at points like manufacturing facility farming, the pet commerce, and animal testing. It strives to show how and why a number of the world’s greatest industries rely basically on animal cruelty.
‘Dominion’
14‘Dominion’
Directed by Chris Delforce, 2018’s feature-length movie Dominion takes its lead from Earthlings in some ways. For one, it stars Phoenix, alongside different huge names like Sadie Sink, Rooney Mara, and Sia. But it surely additionally mimics strategies, like using hidden digicam footage. It expands on this by including harrowing drone footage to the combo, which goals to show “the underbelly” of animal agriculture.
‘73 Cows’
15‘73 Cows’
BAFTA-winning 73 Cows differs from lots of the documentaries on this listing as a result of it isn’t a manufacturing facility farming exposé, and it doesn’t observe an activist or environmentalist. As a substitute, this shifting movie tugs on the heartstrings by specializing in Jay Wilde, a former beef farmer, and the private journey that led him to surrender his herd of cattle and pursue a profession in vegan farming.
‘What the Well being’
16‘What the Well being’
One other hit from Kuhn and Andersen, 2017’s What the Well being examines one other harmful aspect of meat and dairy consumption: the affect it’s having on our well being. With enter from medical consultants, like Milton Mills, MD; Garth P. Davis, MD, FACS, FASMBS; and Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, the movie explores the hyperlink between food plan and illness and investigates the true purpose why a number of the greatest well being organizations in America aren’t doing extra to teach the general public.
‘The Finish of Meat’
17‘The Finish of Meat’
If you happen to’re in search of a little bit little bit of hope, take a look at German filmmaker Marc Pierschel’s The Finish of Meat. Launched in 2017, the documentary options interviews with innovators and leaders in each the vegan meals and animal rights spheres and takes a have a look at what a cruelty-free future would possibly seem like. “As a substitute of specializing in the adverse penalties of consuming meat, I needed to point out the vastly helpful prospects of a post-meat world and what which may seem like for people, animals, and the planet,” Pierschel mentioned in a press release on the time of launch.
‘The Finish of Drugs’
18 ‘The Finish of Drugs’
Much like The Finish of Meat, The Finish of Drugs—produced by Kuhn, Phoenix, Mara, and directed by Alex Lockwood—examines the far-reaching penalties of manufacturing facility farming on world well being. Specifically, it explores how industrial animal agriculture contributes to main threats equivalent to antibiotic resistance, zoonotic illness, and the elevated threat of pandemics.
‘Consuming Animals’
19‘Consuming Animals’
Narrated by actor Natalie Portman, a passionate vegan and animal advocate, Consuming Animals is predicated on the best-selling ebook of the identical title, written by Jonathan Safran Foer. Just like the novel, the documentary—which was produced by Christopher Dillon Quinn, alongside Portman and Foer—goals to show the horrors of manufacturing facility farming. It encourages individuals to look past cognitive dissonance and see what’s actually happening on the finish of their fork.
‘Blackfish’
20‘Blackfish’
Launched in 2013, Blackfish stays a thorn in SeaWorld’s status and ticket gross sales. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the movie examines the ethics and risks of holding cetaceans in captivity by following the lifetime of Tilikum, an orca who was captured off the coast of Iceland earlier than spending nearly all of his life in SeaWorld marine parks. Orcas have by no means killed human beings within the wild, however the stress of captivity doubtless led Tilikum to kill three individuals, two of whom have been his trainers.
‘The Cove’
21‘The Cove’
Directed by Psihoyos, 2009’s The Cove is centered across the brutal seize and slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. The feature-length documentary, which gained an Oscar for Finest Documentary in 2010, stars Ric O’ Barry, a dolphin coach turned activist who labored on 1996’s Flipper.
‘Land of Hope and Glory’
22 ‘Land of Hope and Glory’
In 2017, Ed Winters’ groundbreaking exposé of the UK’s manufacturing facility farming system hit streaming networks. Land of Hope and Glory gives a robust have a look at the best way Britain’s animals are farmed. In keeping with Winters—who is thought on-line as Earthling Ed—the quick documentary was created as a counterpart to Earthlings, which targeted totally on the American manufacturing facility farming system.
‘Hogwood: A Trendy Horror Story’
23 ‘Hogwood: A Trendy Horror Story’
Three years after Land of Hope and Glory, British actor Jerome Flynn fronted Hogwood: A Trendy Horror Story, which equally seeks to show the reality behind the UK’s manufacturing facility farming business. That includes actual undercover footage from the Hogwood farm, the quick movie is harrowing, but undeniably obligatory.
‘Forks Over Knives’
24‘Forks Over Knives’
Much like documentaries like What the Well being, 2011’s Forks Over Knives—directed by Lee Fulkerson—goals to teach individuals concerning the therapeutic energy of plant-based vitamin. The feature-length documentary explains why embracing a entire meals, plant-based food plan may lengthen your life and cut back the specter of debilitating power illness.
‘Vegucated’
25‘Vegucated’
This 2011 documentary, directed by Marisa Miller Wolfson, is a captivating have a look at three meat-eaters’ journeys as they check out a vegan food plan for six weeks with the assistance of Wolfson herself. Vegucated addresses points like cognitive dissonance, animal rights, and even sees members have a look behind the cloak of the meat business as they uncover the tough actuality of manufacturing facility farms and slaughterhouses within the US.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and author based mostly in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
