History Film / HowToBlowUpAPipeline

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:The last thing Shawn does is look over his shoulder at a suspicious SUV, leaving it an open question whether Xochitl and Theo's plan to take the fall for everyone else worked.]]

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler:The last thing Shawn does is look over his shoulder at a suspicious SUV, leaving it an open question whether Xochitl and Theo's plan to take the fall for everyone else worked.

[[quoteright:160:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/how_to_blow_up_a_pipeline.jpg]]

* IdiotBall: A drone surveying the pipeline shows up as the ground is burying one of the devices and they subsequently knock it down. Instead of destroying it, they just leave it behind because one of the group says that it just takes measurements. The camera even lingers on it when they leave.

* IdiotBall: A drone surveying the pipeline shows up as the ground is buying one of the devices and they subsequently knock it down. Instead of destroying it, they just leave it behind because one of the group says that it just takes measurements. The camera even lingers on it when they leave.

* DoubleAgent: Rowan is feeding information to law enforcement throughout the heist [[spoiler:but is actually helping Xochitl by giving the feds only the information she wants them to know]].

* DoubleAgent: Rowan is feeding information to law enforcement throughout the heist and [[spoiler:turns out to be a triple agent: She's helping Xochitl by giving the feds only the information she wants them to know]].

* DoubleAgent: Rowan is feeding information to law enforcement throughout the heist and [[spoiler:turns out to be a triple agent: actually helping Xochitl by giving the feds only the information she wants them to know]].

* HowWeGotHere: All the characters get sequences showing how their lives were prior to the bombing, and why they joined up with the plan.

* PoliceBrutality: Xochitl gets knocked out by a cop for protesting at them roughly dragging Theo away. To be fair, she had just triggered an explosion and suddenly started moving when she shouldn't have.

* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: Rowan digs the bullet out of her boyfriend Logan's arm and bandages the wound, apparently with no lasting negative effects. In their case, they can't go to a hospital since a gunshot wound requires filing a police report which, in turn, would connect him directly to the bomb plot invalidating [[spoiler:Rowan's deal with the FBI]] and expose the others.

* IdiotBall:
** [[spoiler:While burying one of the devices, a drone catches them in the act and Dwayne knocks it down. Instead of destroying the drone's data card with its footage and telemetry, they just leave it behind otherwise intact. The camera even lingers on it when the group moves on.]]
** [[spoiler:Dwayne spikes an access road into the area, blocking an oil company truck from passing through and shoots at the oil workers while making no effort to hide his face or the truck he drives.]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The pipeline does get blown up as the group planned and they do inspire others as Xochitl wanted. However, it isn't clear if the consequences are what they want. Xochitl might well spend the rest of her life in prison, Theo looks set to die alone from her cancer and it's implied the authorities might be onto the others given Shawn sees a suspicious SUV that might be the FBI.[[note]]The vehicle in question is a late-model black Suburban with two occupants wearing sunglasses. Plus, in a blink-and-you'll miss it, it has what could be a US Government license plate on the front.[[/note]] ]]

* DoubleAgent: [[spoiler:Rowan]] is feeding information to the FBI but she's actually helping Xochitl by giving the feds only the information she wants them to know.

* TheEeyore: Michael is continually dour for most of the film, and even implied to be a {{death seeker}} at one point.

* ActionGirl: All of the women in the group are committed to the sabotage along with the guys, contributing equally to its execution.

** Dwayne's family also lost land that had been in their family for generations to imminent domain to build an oil pipeline, ended up losing a lawsuit, saddled with thousands in legal fees and live in a trailer that lacks safe drinking water.

It stars Creator/ArielaBarer (who also co-wrote the screenplay), Creator/KristineFroseth, Creator/LukasGage, Creator/ForrestGoodluck, Creator/SashaLane, Creator/JaymeLawson, Creator/MarcusScribner, Creator/JakeWeary, and Creator/IreneBedard.

''How to Blow Up a Pipeline'' is a 2023 film about eco-terrorists conspiring to blow up an oil pipeline in protest of climate change and other negative effects that it causes.

!Examples:

* OutlawCouple: Logan and Rowan.

** Dwayne's family also lost land that had been in their family for generations to imminent domain to build an oil pipeline, ended up losing a lawsuit and saddled with thousands in legal fees.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The pipeline does get blown up as the group planned and they do inspire others as Xochitl wanted. However, it isn't clear if the consequences are what they want. Xochitl might well spend the rest of her life in prison, Theo looks set to die alone from her cancer and it's implied the authorities might be onto the others given Shawn sees a suspicious car that might be the FBI.]]

* ItsPersonal: Xochitl and Theo have more than just the cause of the environment/humanity being saved from being harmed by oil pollution as a motive to join the plan. It turns out Xochitl's mom died from poisoning by the oil refinery they lived nearby. Theo as well was poisoned from this and has cancer which is likely going to be fatal. It's unsurprising that Xochitl is the one who had proposed the plan to blow up the oil pipeline, with Theo eagerly joining before anyone else did. Dwayne's family lost land that had been in their family for generations to imminent domain to build an oil pipeline, ended up losing a lawsuit and saddled with thousands in legal fees.

* TakingTheHeat: [[spoiler:Xochitl and Theo, with help from Rowan, make it appear like they did the bombing all on their own, with the others getting away. It's left ambiguous if this works. See IdiotBall.]]

* WeHaveToGetTheBulletOut: Rowan digs the bullet out of her boyfriend Logan's arm and bandages the wound, apparently with no lasting negative effects. In their case, they can't go to a hospital since a gunshot wound requires filing a police report which, in turn, would connect him directly to the bomb plot.

* TheAlibi: The group devise these so the authorities can't prove they destroyed the pipeline [[spoiler:aside from Xochitl and Theo, who take the fall. It's left ambiguous whether their alibis will hold up to scrutiny.]]

* IdiotBall: [[spoiler:While burying one of the devices, a drone catches them and one of the group knocks it down. Instead of destroying the drone's data card with its footage and telemetry, they just leave it behind otherwise intact. The camera even lingers on it when the group moves on.]]

* ItsPersonal: Xochitl and Theo have more than just the cause of the environment/humanity being saved from being harmed by oil pollution as a motive to join the plan. It turns out Xochitl's mom died from poisoning by the oil refinery they lived nearby. Theo as well was poisoned from this and has cancer which is likely going to be fatal. It's unsurprising that Xochitl is the one who had proposed the plan to blow up the oil pipeline, with Theo eagerly joining before anyone else did.

* TakingTheHeat: [[spoiler:Xochitl and Theo, with help from Rowan, make it appear like they did the bombing all on their own, with the others getting away.]]

* IdiotBall: [[spoiler:While burying one of the devices, a drone catches them and one of the group knocks it down. Instead of destroying the drone's data card with its footage and telemetry, they just leave it behind otherwise intact.]]

* IdiotBall: [[spoiler:While burying one of the devices, a drone catches them and one of the group knocks it down. Instead of destroying the drone's data card with its footage and telemetry, they just leave it.]]