Eye-Opening, Thought-Provoking, Game-Changing ~ Vegan Documentaries on Netflix Streaming Now

Released in 2014, Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, is still changing lives today. The film, which was directed by Kip Anderson and produced by Keegan Kuhn, examines the real impact that animal agriculture is having on the environment, from deforestation to greenhouse gas pollution to ocean dead zones. It also pulls back the curtain on industry denial, as researchers, authors, speakers, activists, and animal advocates take viewers on a deep dive into the ugly truth: the meat we consume as a society is devastating the natural world.

We watched Cowspiracy again last night and over the next month will watch and re-watch more from the “Best Vegan Documentaries” list from VegNews.

The following are available for streaming on Netflix now:

‘The Game Changers’

Star-studded The Game Changers—which counts James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and Lewis Hamilton among its executive producers—focuses on exposing the myth that meat is a necessary part of optimal athletic performance. While many think that packing in animal protein is a key part of sporting success, the film—which was directed by Louie Psihoyos—aims to demonstrate that the opposite 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 cycling champion). Keep an eye out for the documentary’s sequel, which was announced in June 2023.

‘Eating Our Way to Extinction’

Directed by Otto and Ludo Brockway and narrated by actor Kate Winslet, 2021’s Eating Our Way to Extinction is exactly what the title says it’s going to be. Accompanied by awe-inspiring cinematography, the film intends to be an eye-opening warning of what will happen to us and the planet if nothing changes with the food system soon. It features leading environmental experts, scientists, and global figures alongside powerful appearances and first-hand accounts from indigenous people.

‘You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment’

Last year, Stanford Medicine published a ground-breaking study that examined the effects of dietary habits on 22 sets of twins. In the study, one twin followed a vegetable-rich omnivorous diet, and the other followed a vegetable-rich plant-based diet. The researchers found that in the first four weeks, those on a plant-based diet had lower levels of LDL cholesterol and insulin, and they lost weight. A new must-see documentary series guides us through the experiment process and results—which surprised even the study authors themselves—as well as the eye-opening history of the Standard American Diet.

‘Earthlings’

It may have been released in the mid-aughts, but 2005’s Earthlings, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Shaun Monson, is still relevant today. Relying on hidden camera footage, the documentary takes aim at issues like factory farming, the pet trade, and animal testing, and strives to expose how and why some of the world’s biggest industries rely fundamentally on animal cruelty.

‘The Smell of Money’

Backed by Joaquin Phoenix, and executive produced by Kata Mara, 2022’s The Smell of Money is an exposé of environmental racism, and takes a harrowing look at the impact of factory farms on communities that surround them. Follow the legal battle between one North Carolina community and Smithfield Foods, one of the largest pork producers in the US.

‘Poisoned’

In 2023, Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food, hit Netflix. The documentary takes a closer look at grocery store shelves and examines how the food industry’s systemic failures don’t just hurt animals and the planet, but they’re also putting people at risk of dangerous foodborne diseases.

‘Seaspiracy’

Produced by Anderson and directed by Ali Tabrizi, 2021’s Seaspiracy takes a deep and sobering look at the state of the fishing industry. It not only examines environmental issues like plastic pollution (a significant percentage of which comes from things like nets and lines) but also the human cost of industrial fishing. But, of course, it also explores the solutions to these issues, one of which is, perhaps unsurprisingly, taking seafood off our plates.

‘Milked’

Milked, released in 2021 and directed by Amy Taylor, is a feature-length documentary that follows activist Chris Huriwai as he travels throughout New Zealand. On his journey, he exposes the country’s multi-billion-dollar dairy industry and the scale of the impact it’s having on people and the planet. It’s another wake-up call from executive producer Kuhn, who stars in the film alongside environmentalists like Jane Goodall and Suzy Amis Cameron.

‘Dominion’

Directed by Chris Delforce, 2018’s feature-length film Dominion takes its lead from Earthlings in many ways. For one, it stars Phoenix, alongside other big names like Sadie Sink, Rooney Mara, and Sia. But it also mimics techniques, like the use of hidden camera footage. It expands on this by adding harrowing drone footage to the mix, which aims to expose “the underbelly” of animal agriculture.

‘73 Cows’

BAFTA-winning 73 Cows differs from many of the documentaries on this list, because it is not a factory farming exposé, and it doesn’t follow an activist or environmentalist. Instead, this moving film tugs on the heartstrings by focusing on Jay Wilde, a former beef farmer, and the personal journey that led him to give up his herd of cattle and pursue a career in vegan farming.

‘What the Health’

Another hit from Kuhn and Anderson, 2017’s What the Health examines another dangerous side of meat and dairy consumption: the impact it is having on our health. With input from medical experts, like Milton Mills, MD; Garth P. Davis, MD, FACS, FASMBS; and Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, the film explores the link between diet and disease and investigates the real reason why some of the biggest health organizations in America aren’t doing more to educate the public.

‘Blackfish’

Released in 2013, Blackfish remains a thorn in SeaWorld’s reputation and ticket sales. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the film examines the ethics and dangers of keeping cetaceans in captivity by following the life of Tilikum, an orca who was captured off the coast of Iceland before spending the majority of his life in SeaWorld marine parks. Orcas have never killed human beings in the wild, but the stress of captivity likely led Tilikum to kill three people, two of whom were his trainers.

‘The End of Meat’

If you’re looking for a little bit of hope, check out German filmmaker Marc Pierschel’s The End of Meat. Released in 2017, the documentary features interviews with innovators and leaders in both the vegan food and animal rights spheres and takes a look at what a cruelty-free future might look like. “Instead of focusing on the negative consequences of consuming meat, I wanted to show the hugely beneficial possibilities of a post-meat world and what that might look like for humans, animals, and the planet,” Pierschel said in a statement at the time of release.

‘Eating Animals’

Narrated by actor Natalie Portman, a passionate vegan and animal advocate, Eating Animals is based on the best-selling book of the same name, which was written by Jonathan Safran Foer. Like the novel, the documentary—which was produced by Christopher Dillon Quinn, alongside Portman and Foer—aims to expose the horrors of factory farming. It encourages people to look beyond cognitive dissonance and see what’s really going on at the end of their fork.

‘Forks Over Knives’

Similar to documentaries like What the Health, 2011’s Forks Over Knives—directed by Lee Fulkerson—aims to educate people about the healing power of plant-based nutrition. The feature-length documentary explains why embracing a whole foods, plant-based diet may just extend your life and reduce the threat of debilitating chronic disease.

‘Vegucated’

This 2011 documentary directed by Marisa Miller Wolfson is a fascinating look at three meat-eaters’ journeys as they try out a vegan diet for six weeks with the help of Wolfson herself. The film addresses issues like cognitive dissonance, animal rights, and even sees participants take a look behind the cloak of the meat industry as they uncover the harsh reality of factory farms and slaughterhouses in the US.

‘The Cove’

Directed by Louie Psihoyos, 2009’s The Cove is centered around the brutal capture and slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. The feature-length documentary, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2010, stars Ric O’ Barry, a dolphin trainer turned activist who worked on 1996’s Flipper.

From the Editor’s Desk ~ Confessions of a Former Lover & Putting a Fashionable Foot Forward

As I move beyond decades of adoring the luxury of leather, of a voracious — dare I say, almost insane — love of meat, poultry and seafood, the process of letting go involves some serious reflection. It seems I’ve always wanted it to be this way. I am disappointed it took me so long. I applaud anyone who has chosen the fork over the knife — the choice supports a healthier environment, human wellness and animals’ right to live without suffering.

The footwear shown here is faux leather, often called vegan leather these days, and under $100, most under $60. (I’ve regularly worn a pair of faux cognac-colored leather booties I bought for $30 more than 20 years ago — they still look brand new and stylish, the only faux leather thing I owned until recently.) Yes, faux leather has been around for years and years, although it never gained a foothold in the mass market until fairly recently, becoming incredibly popular for vegans and anyone looking for reasonably-priced footwear.The quality of the bags and footwear I’ve purchased recently is fabulous, the pieces have a wonderfully luxe look and feel about them. I love compliments about my new faux stuff and delight in telling people they’re faux and where I bought them.

With thousands of options online, these are just a few that struck my fancy this evening as I combed my way across the vast retail network that is the Internet. I actually own about 8 or more similar designs in leather, purchased over the last couple of years — or since combat, motorcycle and equestrian styles became mainstream — inspired by things I adore; horses, motorcycles and, well, I just like the look of military-style boots with jeans and my Raiders of the Lost Ark distressed leather jacket, and the comfort of lower heels.

My enduring passion for leather footwear, bags, furniture and anything else I could get my hands on has vanished in the wind since I’ve committed quite recently to a plant-based diet. To be precise, I’m a fairly new, though firmly committed vegetarian transitioning to a vegan. Eggs and honey keep me stuck squarely in vegetarian mode at this stage. However, we buy eggs only from a local farm where we can see chickens doing what chickens love to do out in the fresh country air, and our honey comes from a local guy who adores his buzzing buddies, providing them with acres of wildflowers for their pollinating pleasure.

The catalyst for change, strangely enough, was a deluxe leather kit I purchased to handcraft leather cuffs for my jewelry business. I was super-excited when the kit arrived, the fragrant box overflowing with thick, sturdy tooling leather, tooling tools, carving knives, embossing stamps, leather dyes and polishes. Did I mention the box it came in smells heavenly? — but then that’s something any true leather aficionado loves just about as much as the look and feel of leather.

Anyway, I tried my best to focus on the process of learning this fascinating craft of leather making; how to tool my own designs in leather — it was all so exciting at first. Every time I got started and wet down the leather, which you need to do to prepare it for tooling, I felt a little nauseous for some reason. I didn’t associate the queasiness with the leather, I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Since early summer, I have only managed to design and tool one cuff, finished on either side with European 4-in-1 sterling chainmaille. It’s a pretty interesting piece. I colored it with patina-colored gilder’s paste, antiqued it with a whiskey stain, and burnished, burnished and burnished it some more. But, it’s the one and only piece I’ve created with the leather. Coasters, and the shells of a wallet, a belt and a credit card case lay in the box waiting for someone to put them together. It won’t be me.

Ever feel wet leather? Well, it’s like it just came alive again. When I was 15 years old I worked a nearly week-long stint in a leather factory where animal skins were boiled and tanned. Hell, it may have even been a slaughterhouse as well, but I don’t remember. I loved animals, but in those days I went along. Questions and activism came much later in life for me. My job at the factory was to hang the slimy boiled carcasses onto sharp hooks that moved along the ceiling of this hellhole all day long non-stop, unless you pressed a giant red panic button, which I assume was in case you hooked your hand along with the carcass. From my station, they proceeded to be tanned. Hard, heavy work in a dank, dark, unbelievably foul environment didn’t go over too well for a sensitive kid like me, and I walked out of that stinking place after four horrendous days.

It left scars, it still conjures up bad karma, I still see the skins, turned a sickening powdery- to bright-blue-color after boiling. I remember walking by the huge boiling vat on my way to the lunchroom to sit with fellow workers who brought everything but the kitchen sink in their lunch boxes, and ate with gusto. I could never stomach lunch and threw the sandwich my Mom made me in the garbage every one of those four long days. I never saw workers throw a dead cow into the vat, but obviously that’s what was happening. I guess it was a rendering factory as well as leather tannery.

I remember many hides slipping, sliding from my hands as I raised my arms to hang ’em high on the meat hooks, crumbling to the ground in a spectacular neon-blue heap of wrinkly, soggy flesh. Then, the boss would see me as he patrolled the floor, and yell for me to “pick it up and get it on those hooks.” I remember too, how as I worked I couldn’t stop thinking about the farms I’d visited, the petting zoos, the Toronto Island farm where I fell in love with cows, pigs, goats, chickens, turkeys and little lambs. I remember thinking my life was surely over, if I had to stay there. Then, I left the nightmare behind and went merrily on with my life, eating the very animals I had so worried about and never giving the veg life a second thought until decades later. To be fair, I didn’t know any vegetarians, and would not know about them for many years. The first time I remember hearing that people didn’t eat meat, it was like they must be a cult. That’s the way it was years ago — ignorance was bliss and anyone who did something outside of the “norm” was a wacko, or communist.

During the ensuing years, I joined animal rights groups like Peta, animal welfare organizations like WSPA, Animal Asia, environmental organizations like WWF, rescued feral cats, kept a house full of rescued dogs and in the garage housed five pet Pekin ducks we saved from the duck truck when they were babies. In 2000, I was Vice-President of Friends of the Animals Brock, a non-profit organization formed to build a new animal shelter in our community. Our fund-raising gala raised $10,000 for the animals, and what was on the menu of this illustrious event?

I wrote the flowery, pretentious menu: It all started with field mushroom cappuccino followed by, “Rainforest Grill featuring an assortment of marinated skewers such as chicken, lamb and portobello mushrooms grilled before your very eyes on a red slate cooking surface amidst a working water fountain and dry ice fog billowing through lush greenery followed by an appetizer of chili-seared Atlantic salmon with tiki and ginger hoisin plum sauce and an entree of beef tenderloin layered with a mushroom and chevre duxcell served with a thyme-infused cabernet reduction, sweet leek crisps, seasonal vegetables and Pomme William with assorted breads and butter roses.” Dessert was mascarponi phyllo purses with summer coulis and chocolate ganache drizzle, passed sweets including tuxedo berries, white and dark banana spears, dipped summer sweet cherries and assorted chocolate sushi. Every individual course featured its own individual wine. This was one fancy, shmancy affair. Everything was amazing! But, see the disconnect? An animal fundraiser serving animals for dinner? I thought about that as we planned the event, as I recruited volunteers and got sponsors on board. I didn’t speak up, I just went along.

I always wanted to end my love affair with leather, stop eating meat, stop sitting on animals’ skins in my living room, for years really — in fact, I was vegan for a whole year back in 2006 and my cholesterol dropped from way too high to perfect in nine months of eating a plant-based diet. Now, as I walk away from leather lust with misty eyes, I long for the formal goodbye much like the boy in Life of Pi — but unlike Richard Parker, my lonely boots cannot return to the proverbial jungle; they’re dead, lined up in my closet; ghosts of good times past. Perhaps I’ll put them up on eBay, or stuff them into the donation box.

For ethical reasons, I’ve never ever worn fur. Now I won’t buy anything made of leather anymore, except to replace worn riding gear, an essential departure from faux to prevent road rash. But as I phase out the pieces I already own I can remember with a sigh how I once loved the pure indulgent luxury of it all, then focus and happily let it go.