Eco terrorism is the compelling and lethal theme in How to Blow Up a Pipeline, a film where environmental activists break the law for their convictions. How to Blow Up a Pipeline spoke to me because I grew up with family and friends who worked around chemicals. The film delivers revelations that are harrowing, and a foundation that is even more disturbing.

How to Blow Up a Pipeline is about young activists who come together to sabotage an oil pipeline. The cast includes: Xochitl and Shawn (played by Ariela Barer and Marcus Scribner), who become activists because they feel oil production has negatively affected their lives; Michael (played by Forrest Goodluck), a disgruntled oil field worker who has been living in poverty; Dwayne (played by Jake Weary), whose family and property have been impacted by pipelines; Theo (played by Sasha Lane), who has leukemia from being around oil production; Logan and Rowan (played by Lukas Gage and Kristine Forseth), a couple who have been involved in numerous criminal enterprises; and Alisha (played by Jayme Lawson), who is along to support the effort.

Everyone in this film has the same perception that the world around them doesn’t care about how the pipeline affects people, and this is why they all come together to destroy the pipeline. But how far will they go while risking their lives?

As the film progresses it transitions back to each of the characters’ backstories, and it’s clear that their pasts fueled the political and economic conflicts associated with their mission. The film is set around Texas oil fields, the epicenter for the the eco terrorists’ pipeline operation. It is also the place where the political vibe proves strong for Xochitl, Shawn, Michael, Dwayne, Theo, Alisha, Logan, and Rowan. The vast dry lands can handle all kinds of damage, but the pipeline is the target to be destroyed. How to Blow Up a Pipeline becomes more politically chilling as it goes along. The group feels that the government just never cared about them. The pipeline destruction is like a protest, but times ten with the damage it can cause.

The environment is certainly a factor in the group’s decision to destroy the pipeline, but it’s more about how the oil operations has had a physical and economic impact on them. How to Blow Up a Pipeline soars with scientific destructions and suspense parallel to real-life problems. It is a ride that is unforgettable, dark, and lethally enticing.

How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a grandeur of science and environmental causes that has a voice of its own. It is a ride that goes in all kinds of dark directions. Its shocking and the outcome is inevitable. How far will the young activists go to prove their environmental and political point? What will the repercussions be? Will their reasons be validated? Will their dangerous task prove any positive point? There are many questions that holds the key to the mission of the film. Find out the outcomes in How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Four stars.