Film

Dominion

Name: Dominion
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2018
Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Sia, Sadie Sink, Kat Von D

Very dark

Dominion is an unflinching documentary that uses drone footage and hidden cameras to expose industrial animal agriculture at scale. It's visually devastating and philosophically serious—a film that doesn't look away and doesn't let you either. For anyone ready to confront where food comes from, or already questioning it.

TMDb rating

4.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you want a documentary that builds its argument through patient, unflinching footage rather than talking heads, and you can sit with an uncomfortable case being made openly on screen.

Skip it if you come looking for balance or a gentle, reflective watch; this is a deliberate advocacy piece, and its graphic farm footage will feel like a verdict more than an open question.

What it asks of you: Two hours of mostly observational imagery, with a narration that moves in measured stretches and asks you to stay put while the evidence piles up rather than easing you in.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Game Changers2019

A compelling case for plant-based eating built on athletic performance and human biology. It's optimistic where Dominion is grave, offering solutions alongside critique.

But Some nutritional claims have been disputed; it occasionally prioritizes narrative momentum over scientific nuance.

Blackfish2013

Investigative documentary about SeaWorld that builds a devastating case through leaked footage and testimony. Shares Dominion's commitment to exposing institutional harm using evidence.

But Focused on one facility rather than systemic issues. If you've already seen it, the shock value is spent.

My Octopus Teacher2020

A year-long observation of an octopus in the wild that makes a profound argument for animal consciousness and inner life. Meditative instead of angry, but equally convincing.

But Gentle pacing won't appeal to those wanting hard confrontation. It's an invitation to wonder, not a call to action.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Dominion

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Gunda2021

Both refuse to look away from animal life, but where Dominion uses confrontation, Gunda uses intimacy. Same moral destination, opposite method.

Victor Kossakovsky films three animals—a pig, cows, a chicken—in black and white without narration or music, just living. It argues for animal consciousness through radical observation rather than argument.

But The slowness will test patience. Some find it tedious; others find it meditative. There is no middle ground.

Earthlings2005

The documentary that pioneered this approach: hidden cameras in slaughterhouses and factory farms narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. The spiritual ancestor of everything that followed.

But The production quality is visibly dated now. Some find the emotional manipulation heavy-handed compared to modern documentaries.

Food, Inc.2008

Broader investigation of industrial food systems—meat, corn, soy—that connects agriculture to politics, economics, and public health. Informative where Dominion is visceral.

But Less visually graphic but more diffuse. If you want pure focus on animal suffering, this spreads itself thin.

Seaspiracy2021

Investigative look at industrial fishing with the same uncompromising eye. Reveals practices most people never think about and follows leads into troubling places.

But Some environmental claims have been fact-checked and questioned. The narrative can feel simplistic about complex issues.

The Cove2009

Oscar-winning investigation into dolphin hunting in Japan that combines undercover footage with ethical inquiry. Tense and morally clear without preaching.

But Narrower focus than you might expect. The thriller structure sometimes overwhelms the deeper questions.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret2014

Examination of how animal agriculture drives deforestation and climate change. Makes an environmental case that resonates even with those unmoved by ethical arguments.

But Takes strong positions on data that scientists still debate. Can feel more agenda-driven than evidence-led.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret poster

The Platform2019

Both examine systems of exploitation and who benefits from suffering. Dominion shows reality; The Platform shows what injustice looks like in metaphor.

Spanish sci-fi thriller set in a vertical prison where food scarcity forces moral collapse. A parable about exploitation and hierarchy that applies far beyond its premise.

But Brutal, graphic, sometimes gratuitous. The social allegory can overshadow character, leaving it feeling cold.