🎯 Quick Overview
Trailer
- Director: Chris Delforce
- Genre: Documentary, Horror
- Release year: 2018
- Runtime (length): 2h 0min
- IMDb rating: 8.9/10 (150,000+ votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (Audience Score)
😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained
Animals secretly film humans being terrible bosses and then hire celebrities to narrate their shocking documentary.
🍿 Dominion: Detailed Plot Synopsis
An Unflinching Look at Modern Animal Agriculture
Dominion employs a range of filming techniques, including drones and hidden cameras, to provide a comprehensive, albeit disturbing, view of contemporary animal farming and exploitation. The film questions humanity’s perceived ‘dominion’ over the animal kingdom by showcasing practices across various industries. It aims to expose what happens behind closed doors in farms and slaughterhouses.

Exploration Across Industries (Spoiler: Graphic Content)
The documentary is structured thematically, dedicating segments to different species and the industries that utilize them. This includes a detailed examination of animals raised for food, such as pigs, chickens, cows, and fish, showing their living conditions and slaughter processes. It also touches upon animals used for clothing (like fur and leather), entertainment (including racing and zoos), and scientific research. Through undercover footage, the film presents graphic and often brutal depictions of common industry practices. These include confinement, mutilation, transportation, and slaughter, highlighting instances of severe animal suffering and abuse documented by activists. The narrative is supported by statistics and facts about the scale of animal exploitation globally.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained
🎬 Cast & Characters
- Narrator (voice) (Joaquin Phoenix): One of several celebrity voices who narrate the documentary’s findings on animal exploitation.
- Narrator (voice) (Rooney Mara): A celebrity narrator who helps convey the film’s message about the treatment of animals in modern industries.
- Narrator (voice) (Sia): Provides vocal narration for the documentary, emphasizing the suffering of animals in various sectors.
- Narrator (voice) (Sadie Sink): Serves as one of the narrators, highlighting the film’s focus on exposing animal abuse.
- Narrator (voice) (Katherine von Drachenberg): Contributes narration to the film, presenting harsh realities of animal agriculture and exploitation.
- Writer / Director (Chris Delforce): The filmmaker responsible for compiling and presenting the undercover footage that exposes the animal agriculture industry.
💬 Memorable Quotes
- Narrator: “The truth is, there’s no humane way to kill someone who wants to live.” – A core statement in the film challenging the concept of ‘humane slaughter’ by emphasizing the animal’s desire to survive.
- Narrator: “The sadness I feel looking into cages is nothing compared to what it must feel like looking out.” – Reflecting on the perspective of the confined animals and the depth of their suffering compared to human discomfort in witnessing it.
- Narrator: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be vegetarian.” – Highlighting the industry’s hidden nature and suggesting that direct exposure to the process would lead to widespread rejection of meat consumption.
- Narrator: “We are part of a society that currently deems these activities to be normal.” – Pointing out that the depicted cruelty is not an anomaly but a standard practice accepted and normalized by society.
💰Box Office
- Budget: N/A
- Domestic Gross: N/A
- Worldwide Gross: N/A
💥 Dominion Reviews
Personal Review
Okay, so I watched Dominion, and wow. It was incredibly difficult to sit through – genuinely the most disturbing thing I’ve seen in a long time. There were moments I honestly felt like I couldn’t keep watching, particularly the segments on pigs and chickens; the sheer scale of suffering was just overwhelming. It really made me think hard about where my food comes from and the disconnect we have as a society. It’s one thing to read about these issues, but seeing the raw footage… it hits you on a completely different level. It’s definitely a film that sticks with you long after the credits roll and makes you question everything you thought you knew about the industry.
- Who would enjoy:
- “Viewers interested in animal rights and ethics”
- “Those seeking a deeper understanding of modern animal agriculture”
- “Individuals considering a vegan lifestyle”
- “Fans of hard-hitting investigative documentaries”
- Content warnings ⚠:
- “Extreme graphic content”
- “Scenes of severe animal cruelty and suffering”
- “Violence”
- “Highly disturbing images”
Professional Reviews
- Film Critique Weekly: “Dominion is less a film and more a visceral experience. It’s a relentless, unflinching look at animal agriculture that challenges viewers on a fundamental level. While some may find its directness overwhelming, its power lies in its raw, undeniable footage. It demands attention and certainly delivers a punch that’s hard to shake.
- IndieLens Review: “This documentary serves as a stark wake-up call, utilizing powerful, often disturbing, visuals captured through brave undercover work. It’s not an easy watch, and its persuasive intent is clear, but the evidence presented forces a difficult, necessary conversation about humanity’s relationship with the animal kingdom. A potent and important film.
Audience Reactions
The raw, uncensored footage was incredibly impactful and eye-opening.: Many viewers described it as ‘life-changing’ and a ‘must-watch’ for anyone who consumes animal products, despite acknowledging how difficult and emotionally taxing it was to watch.
It prompted many viewers to seriously consider or immediately adopt a vegan lifestyle.: People widely praised the bravery of the filmmakers and activists who obtained the footage, highlighting the film’s role in exposing hidden realities.
Overall Consensus: A profoundly disturbing yet widely regarded as essential documentary that powerfully exposes modern animal agriculture, compelling many viewers to reconsider their lifestyle choices, though its graphic nature makes it an intensely challenging watch.
Awards
🛠️ Behind the Scenes
- “The documentary relies heavily on undercover footage obtained by activists, using hidden cameras and drones to capture practices inside farms and slaughterhouses.”
- “Director Chris Delforce reportedly faced threats and had his house raided by the Australian government in connection with the footage used in the film.”
- “The opening quote, ‘From beasts we scorn as soulless, in forest, field and den, the cry goes up to witness, the soullessness of men,’ is from a 1928 poem by M. Frida Hartley.”
🖥️ How to Watch Dominion?
Dominion is a documentary film focusing on animal agriculture. While availability can vary by region and platform, it has historically been made available for free viewing on platforms like YouTube. Always check current streaming services, official websites, or online rental/purchase platforms for the most up-to-date viewing options.

🎥 Similar Movies
If you enjoyed Dominion, you might like these similar films:
- Earthlings (2005): A direct predecessor and influential film using similar undercover footage and narrative style to expose animal cruelty across multiple industries; also narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.
- Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014): Explores the environmental impact of animal agriculture, offering another critical perspective on the industry, albeit with a different focus than direct animal welfare.
- Blackfish (2013): A powerful documentary exposing the treatment of orcas in captivity, similar in its aim to reveal the hidden suffering of animals exploited for human entertainment and profit.
- Seaspiracy (2021): Examines the destructive impact of the global fishing industry, serving as a modern equivalent that extends the critique of animal exploitation to marine life.
- The Game Changers (2018): Released around the same time, this film focuses on the health and performance benefits of plant-based diets, offering a positive alternative to the animal products industry critiqued in Dominion.
🛒 Dominion Related Products
- Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health: Inspired by the acclaimed documentary, this book provides recipes and guidance for transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based diet, focusing on health benefits.
- Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (DVD/Streaming): This documentary explores the environmental impact of animal agriculture, often cited alongside Dominion as essential viewing for understanding the industry’s broader effects.
- Vegan for Animals T-Shirt: A simple t-shirt expressing solidarity with animal rights, often featuring an animal-centric design or message.
- The Animal Liberation Front: Remaking the World (Graphic Novel): A graphic novel exploring the history and philosophy of radical animal activism, touching upon themes related to the brave undercover work shown in the film.
🎧 Soundtrack
Dominion features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:
You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.
🤨 FAQ
Dominion is a 2018 Australian documentary that uses drones, hidden, and handheld cameras to expose the practices of modern animal agriculture and other forms of animal exploitation, questioning the ethics of human dominion over animals.
Yes, ‘Dominion’ is widely considered an extremely graphic and disturbing film. It contains uncensored, real-life footage of animal cruelty, slaughterhouse processes, and suffering across various industries. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
The documentary is narrated by prominent figures including Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia, Sadie Sink, and Katherine von Drachenberg (Kat von D).
‘Dominion’ is often described as a successor or ‘Earthlings II’. Both documentaries cover similar subject matter regarding animal exploitation and feature Joaquin Phoenix as a narrator. ‘Dominion’ is noted for using more modern filming techniques like drone footage and focusing significantly on Australian industries alongside global practices.
Critics of the film sometimes argue it presents a biased view by focusing exclusively on negative and extreme examples within animal industries. Supporters argue that the footage, regardless of whether it represents every single farm, accurately depicts real practices within large-scale industrial systems and serves to inform viewers about the reality behind animal products.
🔥 Bonus Content
The best dinosaurs from Jurassic World 3 Dominion 🌀 4K
Ever wonder which dinosaurs stole the show in Jurassic World Dominion? This video rounds up the most incredible creatures from the movie, and honestly, some of these shots are breathtaking!
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