The Best Vegan Documentaries to Inspire You
Looking for the best and most educational vegan flicks out there?
The topics covered range from health, over environment, to animal advocacy. Some films, of course, deal with several of these.
We'll start out with the very best stuff out there, continue with some documentaries that have one or two flaws but are still worth watching and finish with a couple of bonus free-to-watch speeches on youtube that will rock your socks.
We briefly discuss what each documentary is about, what you can learn from it, where you can watch it along with some other info (like if the film contains graphic footage) and the official trailer. In the few cases that the full documentary was available on Youtube, we simply embedded the whole thing here.
The Game changers (2018)
What the Health ( 2017)
Forks Over Knives (2011)
Earthlings (2005)
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
Speciesism: The Movie (2013)
Vegucated (2011)
Meat the Truth (2007)
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2009)
Unity (2015)
PlantPure Nation (2015)
Food Choices (2016)
Carnage: Swallowing the Past (2017)
Planeat (2010)
Crazy Sexy Cancer (2007)
Vegan: Everyday Stories (2016)
The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013)
Farm to Fridge (2011)
Food Matters (2008)
Hungry for Change (2012)
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2010)
Super Size Me (2004)
Gary Yourofsky's "Best Speech Ever" (2010)
Dr. Michael Greger: Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death (2012)
James Aspey's Speech, the Man Who Didn't Speak for 365 Days (2016)
James Wildman: 101 Reasons to Go Vegan (2013)
The Game Changers (2018)
Directed by Oscar®-winning documentary filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Lewis Hamilton, Novak Djokovic, and Chris Paul, The Game Changers tells the story of James Wilks — elite Special Forces trainer and The Ultimate Fighter winner — as he travels the world on a quest to uncover the optimal diet for human performance.
Showcasing elite athletes, special ops soldiers, visionary scientists, cultural icons, and everyday heroes, what James discovers permanently changes his understanding of food and his definition of true strength.
https://gamechangersmovie.com/
What the Health (2017)
What it's about
Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn are at it again. After their debut with Cowspiracy, this time around, their focus is on human health - or rather the detrimental effects of animal foods and how they could be prevented.
Kip speaks to several medical doctors and researchers about the growing body of evidence on the health dangers of animal foods and how they contribute to our leading causes of death. Baffled by the fact that leading health organizations seem to be remaining quiet about this - or even presenting dangerous advice - Kip is determined to get to the bottom of things.
Why you should watch it
Just like its predecessor Cowspiracy, What the Health is an incredibly eye-opening documentary that's fact-dense yet fun to watch due to the investigative style and Kip's intrepid nature.
It presents some of the latest nutritional science and uncovers the ways in which big pharmaceutical and food businesses try to suppress the truth.
The film ends on an inspirational note as it shows people who have turned their lives around and now thrive on an entirely plant-based diet.
Where to watch?
Stream and download on vimeo (paid)
Buy DVD on the official website
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 37min
Director: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
Release year: 2017
Graphic Footage: None
Forks Over Knives (2011)
What it's about
Forks Over Knives features leading experts in health such as Dr. T. Colin Campbell, co-author of the China Study and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, author of "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" among many other doctors and researchers.
Campbell and Esselstyn both grew up on farms, believing that animal protein was healthy and necessary but soon changed their beliefs in the face of mounting scientific data.
We get a closer look at the careers of Campbell, Esselstyn, McDougall and co and how they all, independently from each other, came to the same conclusion: A whole food plant-based diet is the answer to obesity and can heal or even reverse the most common degenerative diseases of our society.
Along with the scientific explanations, Forks Over Knives also presents a couple of real-life case studies of people who not only lost great amounts of weight but also improved pretty much all areas of their health.
Why you should watch it
In a plausible and non-preachy way, Forks Over Knives makes the point that not only animal foods but also highly processed foods in general are quite detrimental to your health. The real life examples (i.e. the entirely plant-based firefighter crew around Rip Esselstyn) are fun to watch and show that this way of eating also provides you with tons of energy on top of all other benefits.
This documentary is excellent if you're relatively new to veganism and want to learn the basics of the health-related advantages of this lifestyle.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Rent the film on Amazon (paid)
Stream the film on the Forks Over Knives website (paid)
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 36min
Director: Lee Fulkerson
Release year: 2011
Graphic Footage: None
Earthlings (2005)
What it's about
Earthlings is definitely one of the most influential and powerful vegan documentaries out there. It's usually the number one recommended piece when trying to convince people of the ethical aspect of veganism.
Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, the movie uses hidden cameras to portrait the unpleasant truth about the exploitation and killing of innocent beings in the areas of pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and science.
The footage is VERY graphic and gruesome and might be too much to handle for some as it is just very painful and disturbing to watch how these sentient beings are being treated.
The film opens our eyes to the cruel practices going on behind the walls of different kinds of animal industries that many of us simply aren't aware of or conveniently try to not to think about: It's shocking but eye-opening at the same time.
Why you should watch it
For non-vegans, it may open the door to veganism as there's no more blissful ignorance. Many will make the connection, be more compassionate, and not support animal exploiting industries anymore.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Buy the DVD on the official website
Stream the film on the Earthlings website (paid)
Running length: 1h 35min
Director: Shaun Monson
Release year: 2005
Graphic Footage: Plenty
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
What it's about
Cowspiracy is all about the devastating environmental impact of animal agriculture. The crowdfunded documentary film uncovers that animal agriculture is the primary driver of climate change and responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole transportation industry combined.
It furthermore informs that large-scale factory farming is the leading cause of many environmental illnesses such as deforestation, desertification, water use, or species extinction.
Filmmaker and co-producer Kip Anderson approaches some of the biggest environmental organizations like Greenpeace and Sierra Club and questions their policies on the issue of animal agriculture.
Why you should watch it
It's fascinating to see how much you can lower your environmental footprint and use fewer resources just by adopting a plant-based lifestyle.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Buy the DVD on the official website
Download the film from the official website (paid)
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 25min
Director: Kip Andersen, Keegan Kuhn
Release year: 2014
Graphic Footage: None
Speciesism: The Movie (2013)
What it's about
Filmmaker Mark Devries (in his twenties when he began with the film) sets out to investigate factory farms that are conveniently placed out of our sight in remote countryside areas.
He comes face-to-face with their owners while he tries to shed some light on what's going on behind those odd factories. To uncover the truth, Mark goes as far as commissioning an airplane to fly over some of the factory farms.
On his journey, he interviews a broad range of people, questioning the fundamental belief that humans are thought to be superior to all other animals and that it's justified to torture and abuse them for the sake of our pleasure.
Why you should watch it
Many people claim that this film changed their world view entirely and it might just do the same for you. It's intriguing in the way it challenges widely accepted beliefs.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Stream the film on Amazon (paid)
Buy the DVD on the official website
Stream on Vimeo (paid)
Running length: 1h 34min
Director: Mark Devries
Release year: 2013
Graphic Footage: None
Vegucated (2011)
What it's about
Vegucated follows three omnivores from different backgrounds who try veganism for 6 weeks and learn what it's all about. At first, they were mostly driven by the wish to lose weight, but as they get educated about the ethical and environmental implications of animal agriculture, their whole worldview is shaken.
Why you should watch it
Vegucated shows how fast a transformation to veganism can happen if people are properly educated about the far-reaching consequences of their lifestyle choices.
At the same time, it opens our eyes to the fact that there's still a lot of ignorance and disconnection in our society: The three participants didn't have a clue about modern farming practices, health, and environmental consequences of eating animal products.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Stream the film on Amazon (paid)
Check out the many renting & buying options on the official website
Vegucated can also be streamed on Netflix (US)
Running length: 1h 16min
Director: Marisa Miller Wolfson
Release year: 2011
Graphic Footage: Almost none
Meat the Truth (2007)
What it's about
Another documentary about the destructive force of animal agriculture on our planet and global warming. It starts where most other environmental films stop and curiously asks why nowadays full-scale animal farming, despite its massive impact, is often times neglected when climate change is discussed. Is it convenience? Is it the fear to go against the norm?
This documentary beautifully illustrates how we can change the world one step at a time and one person at a time by making smarter food choices and changing our daily habits.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Youtube
Running length: 1h 14min
Director: Karen Soeters, Gertjan Zwanikken
Release year: 2007
Graphic Footage: None
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home (2009)
What it's about
This award-winning documentary explores the moral struggles by several traditional farmers who started questioning and reexamining their relationships with animals.
The farmers share stories that one can't possibly understand without having experienced them first-hand: Stories of unbelievable cruelty but also stories of the complex bonds, emotional lives, and relationships animals do experience.
Why you should watch it
Peaceable Kingdom: The Journey Home explores the human animal relationship but also the complexity of an animal life in a very touching way. The documentary's powerful message is that we wouldn't want these innocent beings to experience any harm if we really got to know them.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Buy the DVD on the official website
Running length: 1h 18min
Director: Jenny Stein
Release year: 2009
Graphic Footage: Slightly
Unity
What it's about
Directed and produced by Shaun Monson, Unity can be considered the sequel to his former renowned documentary Earthlings. It took 7 years to finish the film which is narrated by 100 famous actors, entertainers, athletes, musicians and others.
Unity explores the reasons why we haven't been able to coexist peacefully with our fellow human beings, animals, and planet earth - even after thousand and thousands of years. Despite the fast evolution of science, technology, and philosophy, we're still not able to respect each other and live in unity.
Why you should watch it
Unity is a beautiful documentary to watch. The footage and score alone are simply breathtaking. The fact that it's narrated by such a wide variety of celebrities makes the message of peace, love, and hope even stronger.
Unity speaks out for those who can't and does so in a unique and mesmerizing way.
Where to watch?
Stream on Amazon (paid)
Check out the many other streaming option on the official website
Running length: 1h 39min
Director: Shaun Monson
Release year: 2015
Graphic Footage: Slightly
PlantPure Nation (2015)
What it's about
This documentary continues where Forks Over Knives left off. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, his son Nelson and Kentucky State Representative Tom Riner join forces to spread knowledge about the scientifically backed health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet.
Nelson takes the pilot program concept back to his hometown of Mebane, North Carolina, where he recruits a diverse group of people (including a politician, a journalist, and even a cattle farmer) that agree to participate in a 10-day vegan challenge with freshly prepared, heat-and-eat meals. Biometrics tests are done before and after the challenge and the results are astonishing.
Why you should watch it
PlantPure Nation makes a compelling case for plant-based eating, highlighting the dramatic and easy to achieve health benefits.
The film is all about empowering people to make healthier, scientifically based decisions to fuel their bodies the best possible way despite corporate lobbies disseminating skepticism and trying to prevent change.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Stream on Amazon (paid)
Stream on the official website (paid)
Netflix (US and Canada)
Running length: 1h 35min
Director: Nelson Campbell
Release year: 2015
Graphic Footage: None
Food Choices (2016)
What it's about
On a 3-year journey, award-winning filmmaker Michal Siewierski goes on a quest to find the healthiest and most sustainable diet for ourselves, other living beings, and the planet we live on.
Traveling across the whole US, he interviews over 30 world-renowned experts of many different fields including Dr. John McDougall, Dr. T Colin Campbell, Dr. Richard Oppenlander, Dr. Pam Popper, Rich Roll, Joe Cross and many more.
Why you should watch it
Food Choices is a treasure chest of valuable information regarding health, ethical, and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. The top-notch production of the film and the concurrence of the many well-respected doctors, athletes, environmental researchers etc. makes this documentary very enjoyable to watch.
Especially for non-vegans or veg-interested, this film offers an amazing blend of all the different information, representing the many advantages of a vegan lifestyle in a very comprehensive way.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Stream on Amazon (paid)
Watch on iTunes (paid)
Running length: 1h 31min
Director: Michal Siewierski
Release year: 2016
Graphic Footage: Moderate
Carnage: Swallowing the Past (2017)
What it's about
This mockumentary is set in a utopian Britain of the year 2067. Eating meat, dairy and eggs is now a relict of the past. People of the younger generation are horrified by the amount of suffering and violence that has been inflicted on animals while many of the older generation need to undergo therapy to cope with the guilt of their carnist pasts.
Part real events, part fiction, Carnage takes us from 1944 (the foundation of the Vegan Society) to a fully vegan world in 2067 and explores the many hurdles and successes along the way.
Why you should watch it
Whether you're vegan already or not, this film will put a smile on your face. It's never preachy and instead, provides a completely new angle: How will people in 50 years look back on how we treat animals today?
Where to watch?
BBC iPlayer (unfortunately works only for UK based viewers at this moment), but the film also keeps floating around on Youtube, so keep an eye out for that
Running length: 68min
Director: Simon Amstell
Release year: 2017
Graphic Footage: Slightly
Planeat (2010)
What it's about
With a high-quality cast including scientists, environmental experts, passionate farmers and pioneering chefs, this British documentary draws attention to the health and environmental benefits of removing animal products from one's diet.
Why you should watch it
What's great about Planeat is that it omits shock tactics and presents its arguments in an uplifting, informative, and down to earth way which will speak to those who are immediately turned off by animal cruelty footage.
It's thought-provoking without being indoctrinating with inspiring interviews and wonderful ideas on how to prepare delicious plant-based dishes.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Stream on Amazon (paid)
Stream on the official website
Buy the DVD on the official website
Running length: 1h 27min
Director: Shelley Lee Davies, Or Shlomi
Release year: 2010
Graphic Footage: None
Crazy Sexy Cancer (2007)
What it's about
Shortly after being diagnosed with a rare stage IV cancer, charismatic Kris Carr starts documenting her story and takes us on a truly inspirational journey of healing and growing.
Why you should watch it
Using this documentary as a creative outlet, Kris Carr shares with us her unique and playful way of rising to the outrageous challenge life presented her. Crazy Sexy Cancer is a film of optimism, empowerment, honesty, and strength, garnished with lots of laughter and humor.
Where to watch?
Buy the DVD on Amazon
Running length: 1h 29min
Director: Kris Carr
Release year: 2007
Graphic Footage: None
Vegan: Everyday Stories (2016)
What it's about
Vegan: Everyday Stories revolves around the personal journeys of 4 very different individuals who share one commonality: They're all vegan.
We get to know an ultramarathon runner with a past of addiction, a cattle rancher's wife who fell in love with the animals and was destined to turn the farm into a sanctuary, a food truck owner who wants to share her passion for delicious plant-based foods with the rest of the world, and finally an 8 year-old girl who's on a mission to turn the whole world vegan.
Why you should watch it
Unlike many other movies, Vegan: Everyday Stories not only explores the WHY of veganism but puts emphasis on the WHO and proves that there's not the one typical vegan.
Where to watch?
Youtube
Check out the official website for various download options
Running length: 1h 31min
Director: Glenn Scott Lacey
Release year: 2016
Graphic Footage: None
The Ghosts in Our Machine (2013)
What it's about
Equipped with her camera, Jo-Anne travels the world and goes into undercover investigations to reveal the cruelty involved in the meat & dairy, animal testing, and fur industry. We get to know the emotional struggle Jo-Anne faces as she breaks into places to take photos of the animals but has to leave them behind in their terrible conditions at the same time.
Despite eschewing graphic footage for the most part, The Ghosts in Our Machine is deeply moving and poignant. Even if you're already vegan, this movie might encourage you to be more active and push further to make a bigger difference.
Where to watch?
Buy or Stream on Amazon (paid)
Check out the official website for more options to watch the film
Running length: 1h 33min
Director: Liz Marshall
Release year: 2013
Graphic Footage: Slightly
Farm to Fridge (2011)
What it's about
This 12-minute short film by Mercy for Animals reveals with brutally honest footage the often unseen tortures farmed animals have to through until they land neatly packaged in our supermarkets.
With hidden cameras, Farm to Fridge explores the inconvenient truth behind bacon, eggs, dairy, beef, and seafood. If you're going to watch this, be prepared for some very harsh and disturbing images.
Where to watch?
Youtube
Running length: 12min
Director: Lee Iovino / Mery for Animals
Release year: 2011
Graphic Footage: Plenty
Live and Let Live (2013)
What it's about
This documentary tells the story of 6 people who decided to go vegan: From a butcher who went on to be a vegan chef, a dairy farmer who became a farm sanctuary owner to a professional racing cyclist who discovered increased energy and faster recovery after switching to a vegan diet.
Live and Let Live is especially interesting for veg-interested people and newbies to the topic as it provides a well-rounded overview of the topic.
It looks at veganism from all sorts of angles and covers the most important reasons of why people turn vegan.
Where to watch?
Buy DVD on Amazon
More streaming and download options on the official website
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 20min
Director: Marc Pierschel
Release year: 2013
Graphic Footage: None
The following documentaries didn't quite make it to the top of our list. They might still be interesting to watch and give you some new insight but they either had a few flaws or were not exactly about veganism but related topics such as junk food consumption or local food production.
Food Matters (2008)
This popular documentary takes a look at our current state of health, trying to explore why our society is as sick as never before despite the modern health care system and billions of dollars of funding and research into so-called cures.
Some other downsides are the heavy promotion of supplements and the pushing of superfoods instead of getting the basics of a healthy diet straight. All in all, the film has some good elements but eventually drifts too far into the woo-woo corner.
Where to watch?
Buy DVD on Amazon
Stream on Amazon (free with Prime)
Watch on FMTV (membership required)
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 20min
Director: James Colquhoun, Carlo Ledesma
Release year: 2008
Graphic Footage: None
Hungry for Change (2012)
Hungry for Change is the follow-up movie by the Food Matters people. It definitely makes some good points about the food and diet industry fooling us with strategies with the sole purpose of making the most money possible. The artificial composing of the majority of nowadays supermarket foods with lots of additives and sweeteners gets criticized and a return to a more "natural" diet is promoted.
The detrimental health effects of animal products get too little attention and the overall message of the film becomes incoherent and unclear. But Hungry for Change has some good parts as well: Plus points for highlighting the dangers of the dieting trap and addressing the mental aspects of food and dieting.
Where to watch?
Buy DVD on Amazon
Stream on Amazon (paid)
Buy DVD on official website
Watch on FMTV (membership required)
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 29min
Director: James Colquhoun, Laurentine Ten Bosch
Release year: 2012
Graphic Footage: None
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2010)
Australian Joe Cross, who's not only 100 pounds overweight but also suffers from a rare autoimmune disease, is running out of ideas. Conventional doctors and medicine aren't able to help him, so he decides to take things into his own hands by going on a 60-day juice fast.
Still, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead will most likely motivate you to incorporate more micronutrient-dense foods into your diet and step into the healing powers of fruits and vegetables. No need to jump on a full-on juice fast.
Where to watch?
Buy DVD on Amazon
Watch on the official website (free)
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 37min
Director: Joe Cross, Kurt Engfehr
Release year: 2010
Graphic Footage: None
Super Size Me (2004)
In this documentary, director Morgan Murdock conducts the experiment to only eat McDonaldsfood for a full 30 days: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He has to include every single item of the menu at least once over the course of the 30 days. Supervised by three doctors, his physical and emotional health breaks down faster than anyone would've thought.
Even though Super Size Me doesn't promote veganism in particular it illustrates to which great extent the fast food industry is fooling people into buying their crap, making them addicted and often times even obese and sick.
Where to watch?
Buy DVD on Amazon
Stream on Amazon (paid)
Netflix (many countries)
Running length: 1h 40min
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Release year: 2004
Graphic Footage: None
Lastly, we compiled some of the best and inspiring speeches out there that can be watched for free in full length. Check them out below:
Gary Yourofsky's "Best Speech Ever" (2010)
This 2010 speech by animal rights activist Gary Yourofsky has gone viral with millions of views to this date. Yourofsky's convincing and powerful way of presenting his message already turned 8% of Israel vegan after this speech has been translated into Hebrew. Watching this video, you will find out why.
Dr. Michael Greger: Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death (2012)
Dr. Michael Greger, founder of the non-commercial, science-based website NutritionFacts.org, gave this brilliant speech back in 2012. Using the research of peer-reviewed scientific studies, he reveals the leading causes of our top 15 killers as well as ways to prevent or even reverse these with the right kind of nutrition.
James Aspey's Speech, the Man Who Didn't Speak for 365 Days (2016)
James Aspey got public attention after taking a 365-day vow of silence to raise awareness to the suffering of those who can't speak either. In this brilliant speech, he explains his unconventional route to veganism, the importance of this movement and ways to communicate the message effectively from a point of understanding and compassion.
James Wildman: 101 Reasons to Go Vegan (2013)
In this presentation, James Wildman of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, makes an incredibly compelling case for veganism, discussing the vast amount of benefits of a vegan diet. James covers the most important aspects of ethics and health in this very comprehensive and entertaining video.
nutriciously.com/best-vegan-documentaries
