5 Netflix Documentary Picks for Vegan Viewers

By Published On: 14 June 2013Last Updated: 11 July 2017

All of the documentaries listed here - available on Netflix - provoke thought about the profound effects of our everyday choices — and they’ll help to stimulate dialogue with other viewers.

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By Amy Bradley, Guest Contributor

Even if you don’t ever need to watch another video to convince you that the way most people eat in this country is S.A.D., maybe you like to stay connected to the latest titles to learn new tricks to the vegan lifestyle. All of the documentaries listed here – available on Netflix – provoke thought about the profound effects of our everyday choices — and they’ll help to stimulate dialogue with other viewers.

Netflix Documentaries for the Vegan Viewer featuring Vegucated | Your Daily Vegan

1. Vegucated (2010)

I was fortunate to catch this on the big screen when the director, Marisa Wolfson, came to Columbus for the movie’s release. Vegucated follows three New Yorkers, from a variety of backgrounds, who go vegan for six weeks to discover the health benefits and bite off more than they can chew when they learn about the dirty side of the meat and dairy industries.

Netflix Documentaries for the Vegan Viewer featuring Forks Over Knives | Your Daily Vegan

2. Forks Over Knives (2011)

Forks Over Knives features two doctors, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, who share their personal and professional journeys of discovering dietary links between animal-based foods and chronic disease. They show how plant-based foods prevent and even reverse disease, bringing in other experts from the field.

Netflix Documentaries for Vegan Viewers featuring Earthlings | Your Daily Vegan

3. Earthlings (2007)

Earthlings dares you to watch it. This hard-hitting documentary, featuring Joaquin Phoenix, uses graphic footage to open people’s eyes to how animals are exploited for human uses, and all 95 minutes will keep your fists clenched around your damp tissues. Grab the tissue box, leave the snacks, take a deep breath, and prepare to be transformed.

Netflix Documentaries for Vegan Viewers featuring The Cove | Your Daily Vegan

4. The Cove (2009)

The Cove is an Oscar-winning film, shot by courageous activists, opens a huge window into one Japanese town where an industry herds and kills dolphins for meat. The film follows a former dolphin trainer for the TV show Flipper who wants to redeem himself for exploiting these highly intelligent and sensitive animals. Again, grab the tissue box!

5. Crazy Sexy Cancer (2007)

Crazy Sexy Cancer follows the charismatic Kris Carr shares her journey from cancer to back to optimal health. She takes viewers through juicing, yoga, diet and all kinds of lifestyle changes with playful humor. There’s even a little romance in it!

Bonus: Two more vegan films!

Kudos to these instant Netflix picks for being informative, entertaining, and generally awesome.

Netflix Documentaries for the Vegan Viewer featuring Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue | Your Daily Vegan

The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue takes you on a shopping trip with Engine 2 firefighter Rip Esselstyn where you’ll learn how to make healthy, vegan food like delicious sweet potato lasagna. Maybe he’ll come to a kitchen near you, soon?

Netflix Documentaries for Vegan Viewers featuring Beyond the Myth | Your Daily Vegan

Beyond the Myth: A Film About Breed Discrimination is a documentary that challenges the myth that Pit Bulls are inherently violent, dangerous dogs, and challenges the laws that discriminate against the breed. I added this title that is not about animals used for food, because this issue is close to my heart, as I have two rescued pit mixes as sweet and loving family members.

Find Even More Vegan Films!

Vegan Flicks is a large library filled with a wide variety of award-winning TV shows, films, movies, documentaries for the compassionate vegan and vegan-curious. Features a separate guide on what’s currently streaming on Netflix. With Vegan Flicks, you can enjoy informative and inspirational vegan and vegan-centric content, all in one place.

28 Comments

  1. Grant Dixon February 26, 2019 at 7:12 pm - Reply

    Don’t forget this award winning doco from down under. It’s currently screening to sold-out theatres around New Zealand! https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thebigfatlie

  2. Dr. Paul Simon III July 15, 2018 at 9:14 am - Reply

    THESE ARE ***NOT ON NETFLIX!!!

    • KD Angle Traegner July 17, 2018 at 6:38 am - Reply

      Hi! Please note that this article was written in 2013 and the movies streaming on Netflix may have changed. Please visit the Vegan Netflix Guide right here on Your Daily Vegan (the link is above in the article) to find all the vegan-centric movies now streaming!

  3. […] 5 Netflix Documentary Picks for Vegan Viewers […]

  4. Jeanette September 15, 2017 at 8:51 am - Reply

    just starting on my plant based food journey hopefully I’ll be able to reverse some of my health issues

  5. Marites March 16, 2017 at 1:00 am - Reply

    “Chef’s Table” Season 3 Episode 1 is about a Korean Buddhist nun named Jeong Kwan. All of her dishes are vegan. It’s lovely.

  6. tony martin January 21, 2017 at 12:10 pm - Reply

    If you are into Science Fiction (a genre that propelled me to stop eating meat 39 years ago) then check out Travelers on Netflix. The time travelers are. naturally, vegan. Makes sense, no?

    • Jeanette September 15, 2017 at 8:48 am - Reply

      I love SciFi movies I am just starting my plant base food journey a hard task after being brain washed all of these years by the meat and dairy industry but I’m giving it a shot and with the help of everything out there for recipes I am sure I can do it trying to get off the meds is my plan.

  7. Animals Life NET August 29, 2016 at 6:57 am - Reply

    Earthlings is probably the most interesting and thought-provoking film in this list.

  8. Mary May 24, 2016 at 7:14 pm - Reply

    Fantastic list. Forks over knifes is one of my favorites. I did not realize Vegetated was on Netflix, have wanted to see it so will be checking it out tonight.

  9. […] Your Daily Vegan – The Cove, Crazy Sexy Cancer, The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue, Beyond the Myth – A Film About Breed Discrimination, Tyke Elephant Outlaw, Food Chains, Plastic Paradise, More Than Honey, Chasing Ice, Food Matters, Give Me Shelter, Resistance, Virunga, Vanishing of the Bees, Blackfish, Live and Let Live. Vegan Netflix Guide. […]

  10. […] Vegucated (2011) Vegucated follows three people as they dive head first into veganism, agreeing to try it for six weeks while educating themselves on food production. During that time period we not only see the struggles they have in order to keep a vegan diet, but we also see them become more and more passionate about it as they continue to learn. Vegucated gives a detailed argument for veganism, explores people’s resistance to meat-free diets, and delves into the ethics surrounding what we eat and why we eat it. You can also watch Vegucated on Netflix. […]

  11. […] blogs, you name it. If you need some help finding the right ones, Your Daily Vegan has the top 5 Netflix documentaries for vegans, Vegan Coach lists vegan books to make your journey easy and fun, and the Academy of Culinary […]

  12. […] husband and I have been eating a plant based (vegan) diet for over one year now, but this past weekend we experience our first […]

  13. Miri March 27, 2015 at 5:30 am - Reply

    I just thought you might want to know that none of those films (apart from Vegucated) are on Netflix anymore

    • KD Traegner March 27, 2015 at 8:33 am - Reply

      Hi Miri, thanks for letting us know. This article was written a few years ago so I’m sure things are a bit different now. That said, please be sure to check out Vegan Flicks (link above) for a large list of vegan documentaries available outside of Netflix. Thanks for the comment! :)

    • Chuck October 10, 2016 at 9:22 pm - Reply

      yes they are I just watched forks over knives this past sunday

  14. dms61757 October 31, 2014 at 1:34 pm - Reply

    Earthlings.com
    Gary Yourofskys best speech you will ever hear
    The Mad Cowboy
    Philip Wollen, Animals should be off the menu

  15. 7 Documentary for Vegans August 12, 2014 at 1:26 pm - Reply

    […] Read the full article: from DailyVegan […]

  16. VeganFIlmmaker June 11, 2014 at 9:54 pm - Reply

    What a wonderful article!

    If you anyone is interested in learning more about and exploring the Vegan lifestyle through film, you should take a look at the movie: Jim Morris: Lifelong Fitness. Jim Morris is a 78 year old vegan body builder and his inspiring story can be found here:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUtv4slpm-U

    • Ess_Elle July 30, 2014 at 3:36 pm - Reply

      Thanks, this is pretty cool. I’d never heard of him before, but he is certainly an inspiration! Almost seven months clean-eating vegan now, and feeling the best I’ve ever felt in my entire life. Vegan power! :)

  17. […] I hope some of you understand where i’m coming from now and I hope you learned something. If you have any questions and want to know more about vegetarianism or veganism, you can contact me on Facebook and I will be happy to tell you everything you want to know. There are many amazing documentaries about it that I think everyone should watch, it will only benefit you. Here’s a link to an article about vegan documentaries that are on Netflix; (Watch Vegucated, best documentary ever!!! It’s awesome) https://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2013/06/14/5-netflix-documentary-picks-for-vegan-viewers/ […]

  18. […] Best Animal Loving Movies on Netflix […]

  19. Gone vegan | The Dad Beat February 3, 2014 at 3:29 pm - Reply

    […] for ethical reasons. Problem was, I hadn’t actually applied my ethical position strictly. Numerous documentaries and articles have demonstrated that even the “organic/free range” dairy […]

  20. […] Documentaries, Books, Websites. […]

  21. Amy June 15, 2013 at 12:08 pm - Reply

    I now have a list to watch for a sequel post…thanks! There are a few I haven’t even heard of, which is excititng.

  22. Allyson Dwyer June 14, 2013 at 10:16 pm - Reply

    Great list! Another great great sort-of documentary I saw on Netflix was an episode of 30 Days, where a hunter lived with an animal activist. By the end of the 30 days he was helping out at a sanctuary and was moved by the rescue of an abandoned cow. Great episode

  23. Kaycee June 14, 2013 at 12:49 pm - Reply

    Some other great ones:

    A Beautiful Truth
    Dying to Have Known
    Food Inc.
    Food Matters
    Hungry for Change
    Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

    Thanks for sharing!

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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

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