10 Documentaries More Terrifying Than Most Horror Films
3. Earthlings (2005)
This documentary is so viscerally shocking that it’s impossible to unsee after subjecting yourself to its contents. It’s an immensely powerful film, though extreme caution needs to be given to anyone interested in seeking it out.
Helmed by animal rights filmmaker Shaun Monson, narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, and featuring music by Moby, Earthlings intends to show audiences the extent of which humanity realises upon animals in modern life. Told in five chapters encompassing pets, food, entertainment, clothing, and scientific research, this film purposefully refuses to shy away from the upsetting and harrowing realities that humanity inflict upon animals for our own gains.
It cannot be stressed enough how graphic Earthlings is in terms of its content. It details everything from slaughter, euthanasia, and ruthless animal cruelty. Sitting through the entirety of this film is a difficult task for anyone, and that’s the point.
As the film makes clear from the beginning, everything we’re about to see is “the industry standard” for how animals are treated. Through its unflinching depiction of cruelty, this documentary hammers home how horrendous humans are to other species as well as themselves.
Even watching the trailer is enough to make you vegetarian.
You've been warned.