How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Last night my nephew Sean and I went to the Broadway to see How to Blow Up a Pipeline.  We were both really looking forward to this movie and it did not disappoint!  A ragtag group of young environmental activists, including Xochitl (Ariela Barer), Shawn (Marcus Scribner), Michael (Forrest Goodluck), Dwayne (Jake Weary), Theo (Sasha Lane), Logan (Lukas Gage), Rowan (Kristine Froseth), and Alisha (Jayme Lawson), come together in order to sabotage an oil pipeline in West Texas because they believe it is the only way to get people to care about the climate crisis.  What they are doing is inherently dangerous but they are also beset with other challenges that make this an intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  The audience is dropped right in the middle of the action but there are flashbacks which show how each member of the group became radicalized (the most compelling reasons, in my opinion, are Michael's despair as an indigenous person over the fracking that is destroying his ancestral home and Dwayne's anger over the government's misuse of eminent domain to take his land for a pipeline) and the commentary on climate change, as well as other issues (particularly a scathing condemnation of the healthcare system), is incredibly thought-provoking without being too heavy-handed.  There is an unrelenting sense of urgency that is enhanced by a fast pace, a plot twist (that I figured out just minutes before it was revealed), and a pulse-pounding electronic score by Gavin Brivik.  The entire ensemble cast is outstanding with Goodluck as the standout for me.  Regardless of how you feel about climate change or eco-terrorism, this is incredibly powerful and I highly recommend it.