The Cove
A covert conservation team risks surveillance and official hostility to document the hidden slaughter of dolphins in a guarded Japanese cove.
Overview
A haunting exposé of the dark side of marine entertainment and the fight for dolphin rights.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- urgent
- confrontational
- environmental awareness viewing
- activist film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised its suspenseful, impeccably crafted exposé while noting that its one-sided activist framing limits its objectivity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
O'Barry, Psihoyos, and their team use hidden cameras, Hollywood effects specialists, and divers to penetrate a guarded cove.
The film campaigns against dolphin captivity, slaughter, mercury contamination, and political support for whaling.
The team seeks conclusive footage of dolphins being captured, sold to aquariums, or killed for meat.
The documentary links Taiji's dolphin hunt to mercury risks and Japan's influence at the International Whaling Commission.
Films like The Cove, and why
Citizenfour
investigative documentary filmmaking turns a real-world political and environmental issue into a suspenseful covert operation
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
high-stakes documentary investigation, clandestine evidence gathering, and institutional obstruction create an urgent thriller-like structure
Blackfish
environmental activism, confrontational advocacy, and emotionally charged evidence-driven storytelling
Food, Inc.
real-world exposé built around hidden abuses, covert filming, and a strong activist perspective
Movie Details
- Director
- Louie Psihoyos
- Release Date
- 2009-07-31
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (698)
Cast
- Hayden Panettiere
- Joe Chisholm
- Mandy-Rae Cruikshank
- Charles Hambleton
- Simon Hutchins
- Kirk Krack
- Isabel Lucas
- Richard O'Barry
- Roger Payne
- John Potter
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, DocuramaFilms Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Cove about?
- A covert conservation team risks surveillance and official hostility to document the hidden slaughter of dolphins in a guarded Japanese cove.
- What is The Cove like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Cove as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Cove violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Cove as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Cove?
- Critics broadly praised its suspenseful, impeccably crafted exposé while noting that its one-sided activist framing limits its objectivity.
- Which films are like The Cove?
- Films with a similar feel include Citizenfour, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Blackfish, and Food, Inc..
- How long is The Cove?
- The Cove runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Cove?
- In United States, The Cove streams on Philo, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, DocuramaFilms Amazon Channel.
