World Vegan Day: the films likely to turn meat-eaters vegan, from Cowspiracy to Okja

We've all seen films that scare us, make us laugh and bring us to tears, but how often do you see a film that radically changes your life?

Veganism is on the rise all over the world and, for some, the decision to go meat and dairy-free has been influenced in some way by a film.

Given that November 1 is World Vegan Day, here is our pick of some of the powerful films which have been known to make even the most dedicated carnivores have a drastic rethink. 

This National Geographic documentary was watched by over 2 million people the week after it was released in 2016. It follows Leonardo DiCaprio as he visits different corners of the world investigating the impact of global warming.

The focus is mostly on all of the various, interconnected industries which are contributing most heavily to the climate crisis, and the means that are still available to reverse the damage. Although it’s not specifically about farming, the meat industry is highlighted as one sector which has a particularly destructive effect on the planet. Giving up meat does start to feel quite appealing when you see how desperate the situation has become, and DiCaprio makes for a convincing narrator and presenter.

Similarly, this Netflix documentary, in which Sir David Attenborough presents his most impassioned argument for protecting the environment yet, is not explicitly about the meat industry, but is still likely to make you want to abandon some of your meat-eating habits.

While most of Attenborough’s documentaries are a love letter to nature in all its incredible iterations, A Life on Our Planet has a very different tone: it’s a cry for help. Billed as a “witness statement” the British broadcaster explains – and shows first-hand – the devastating changes he has seen to the planet over the years he has been doing his job. It’s frightening, to say the least.

This 1995 film about a pig who wants to be a sheepdog is a much lighter watch than some of the other films on this list. But in its own way, this adaptation of Dick King Smith’s beloved children’s book is also powerful. After all, Babe the sheep-pig (and all the other animals on the farm, for that matter) are just so incredibly sweet. Apparently actor James Cromwell, who played farmer Arthur Hoggett in the film, was so inspired by Babe that he became vegan and has been a vocal animal rights activist ever since – in 2022 he was chosen by Peta UK as its person of the year.

Thought-provoking documentary Cowspiracy explores the negative impact agricultural farming has on the environment. The film was initially crowdfunded, but a version exec-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio was eventually released on Netflix in 2015.

The authority of the film has been questioned by some, and it’s certainly true that facts around global warming are at times squeezed to fit the narrative. However, the long-lasting impact of the film is undeniable.

This Netflix original came out in 2017 and immediately won a cult audience. The film, by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho,  is focused on the close friendship between a young girl and an adorable ‘super pig’ by the name of Okja. One day their lives are torn apart when the animal is chosen to be the face of a new mass-farming initiative by the sinister Miranda corporation.

Tilda Swinton is incredibly watchable as eccentric CEO Miranda and Jake Gyllenhaal also seems to have heaps of fun playing a disturbed celebrity zoologist. However, for all the quirky and funny aspects of the film, its powerful message about animal exploitation is what really shines through.

Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary might not be specifically about the meat industry but it’s still pretty likely to put people off eating burgers for life. Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald’s for a month as part of the film, putting on 24lb and experiencing bouts of depression and sexual dysfunction.

While other films tend to highlight the moral objections vegans have to the meat industry, Super Size Me underlines the health risks of excessive fast food consumption and when the film was first released it made many people think twice about tucking into a Big Mac.

Some of the most distressing scenes in all of vegan filmmaking can be found in Earthlings, which is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix. The 2005 documentary focuses on the way animals are manipulated by humans for use as food, clothing, entertainment, scientific research and as pets. Seriously upsetting stuff.

This powerful documentary made a huge impact on a global scale when it was released back in 2008 and it remains one of the most influential films of its kind. Filmmaker Robert Kenner takes an intimate look at how our food consumption has changed over the past 50 years and how the meat industry is adopting more and more questionable methods to meet demand.

There are plenty of films highlighting the horrors of the meat industry out there, but fewer actually extol the virtues of the vegan diet itself. The Game Changers is a celebration of switching to plant-based foods, with contributions from the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger and strongman Patrik Baboumian.

It focuses on former MMA fighter and army trainer James Wilks, who spent months researching vegan diets after suffering a career-threatening injury. The film, produced by James Cameron, follows Wilks on his journey, speaking to elite athletes who claim they feel stronger and faster after cutting out meat along the way. The science has been challenged by some, and dismissed as vegan propaganda by others, but if you’re after motivation to start a plant-based diet – this one’s for you.

Comedian Simon Amstell’s sci-fi movie Carnage is set years in the future, and tells the story of a generation of wholly vegan people, who look back at previous years with shame and bewilderment. It’s a funny piece of filmmaking which avoids being overly earnest. 

2013 documentary Forks Over Knives takes a look at the links between the obesity epidemic and the meat industry; how the unhealthy lifestyles of Americans, which cost the country $120bn a year, could be aided by a change in diet. The film, directed by filmmaker Lee Fulkerson, takes a closer look at the health benefits of cutting meat and dairy, and focusing on plant-based foods.

The makers of Cowspiracy – Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn – returned in 2017 with a second film: What the Health. While Cowspiracy focused on the environmental impact of agricultural farming, investigative documentary What the Health follows Andersen as he investigates the hidden dangers in the average American meat-eater’s diet and attempts to shine a light on some of the shadowy operations in the food industry.