The Cove (2009)

The Cove (2009) is a tense, investigative documentary that follows dolphin trainer-turned-activist Ric O'Barry and filmmaker Louie Psihoyos as they risk arrest and worse to expose a hidden, brutal practice in Taiji, Japan. Using state-of-the-art equipment, covert cameras, expert freedivers and Hollywood cinematographers, the team infiltrates a heavily guarded cove to document the capture, selection and slaughter of wild dolphins — footage that is at once shocking, heartbreaking and hard to forget. Watching The Cove, you’ll experience a blend of suspenseful espionage and emotional testimony: late-night stakeouts and stealthy underwater shots build thriller-like tension, while O’Barry’s personal story (he once trained the dolphins for the TV show Flipper and later devoted his life to saving them) provides a powerful, human core. The film also expands beyond the cove to investigate public-health concerns (dolphin meat’s high mercury levels), political maneuvering at international bodies like the whaling commission, and the global dynamics that allow such practices to continue. The documentary is both an exposé and a call to conscience — it aims to inform and outrage, but also to inspire action. Visually compelling and ethically provocative, The Cove will leave viewers disturbed by what they see, moved by the activists’ commitment, and more aware of the complex links between animal welfare, human health and international politics. It’s essential viewing for anyone interested in animal rights, investigative filmmaking, and real-life stories of activism.

Actors: Richard O'Barry, Louie Psihoyos, Hardy Jones

Director: Louie Psihoyos

Runtime: 92 min

Genres: Biography, Crime, Documentary

7.9 /10 84 /100 8.4 /10 8.2 /10