The Grab

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The Grab

Released Jun 14, 2024

1h 44m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Quietly and seemingly out of sight, governments, private investors and mercenaries are working to seize food and water resources at the expense of entire populations. These groups are establishing themselves as the new OPEC, where the future world powers will be those who control not oil, but food. And it's all beginning to bubble to the surface in real time. Global food prices have hit an all-time high, threatening chaos and violence. Meanwhile, Russia is using food as a weapon against the Ukrainians, and as a geopolitical tool to wield global power. THE GRAB is a global thriller combining hard-hitting journalism from The Center for Investigative Reporting with the compelling character-driven storytelling of director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, taking you around the globe from Arizona to Zambia, to reveal one of the world’s biggest and least known threats.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A globe-trotting documentary. I found it illuminating and fascinating.

Jul 9, 2024

Full Review

Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

A longer or more episodic version of “The Grab” might have been able to accommodate tangents about pirates and jetpacks; this version of “The Grab” doesn’t even have an unhappy ending.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 14, 2024

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Bob Strauss

San Francisco Chronicle

A lot of the film’s dot-connecting is illuminating, but some of it fails to convince.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 11, 2024

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

...makes the case that protecting agricultural land and water should be considered a national security issue since they may play a larger role than oil in future wars.

Rated: 7/10

Jan 16, 2025

Full Review

Clotilde Chinnici

Loud and Clear Reviews

Narratively, The Grab inevitably loses itself as it goes on. The more you watch it, the more it feels like the movie is trying too much: its intent is ambitious and admirable, but can it really work?

Rated: 3/5

Sep 14, 2024

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

The Grab is a riveting documentary that chronicles a searing investigation of geopolitics. It's a vital look at how international competition to control food and water should be taken as seriously as the competition to control weapons of mass destruction.

Jul 20, 2024

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Kristina S

This impacted me in ways I can’t even describe. This is a must see and must discuss documentary. Problem is most people are so consumed by their own problems to consider how every day that goes by that we don’t deal with global food and water security is another day closer to a complete breakdown in geo politics which will lead to more colonization and more genocide. The thing that hit me hardest was the fact that this problem is solvable. We need leaders and citizens willing to solve this at a global level.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/25/24

Full Review

Brielle D

If you are a human and live on this blue marble that we share, you need to watch and share this documentary. The only way to stop this, is to be aware of it, and push politicians to put a stop to the utter exploitation.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/26/24

Full Review

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Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Director

Nathan Halverson

Self

Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Screenwriter

Nathan Halverson

Producer

Amanda Pike

Producer

Blye Pagon Faust

Producer

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Synopsis

Quietly and seemingly out of sight, governments, private investors and mercenaries are working to seize food and water resources at the expense of entire populations. These groups are establishing themselves as the new OPEC, where the future world powers will be those who control not oil, but food. And it's all beginning to bubble to the surface in real time. Global food prices have hit an all-time high, threatening chaos and violence. Meanwhile, Russia is using food as a weapon against the Ukrainians, and as a geopolitical tool to wield global power. THE GRAB is a global thriller combining hard-hitting journalism from The Center for Investigative Reporting with the compelling character-driven storytelling of director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, taking you around the globe from Arizona to Zambia, to reveal one of the world’s biggest and least known threats.

Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Producer: Nathan Halverson, Amanda Pike, Blye Pagon Faust, Nicole Rocklin, Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Screenwriter: Gabriela Cowperthwaite
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures / Participant
Production Co: Center for Investigative Reporting Studios, Rocklin/Faust, Impact Partners
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 14, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 14, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.7K
Runtime: 1h 44m

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