I Could Never Go Vegan

Plant-based diets have steadily been on the rise over the past few years. But with this ever-burgeoning movement, we’ve also seen the proliferation of anti-vegan propaganda, often tied to conspiratorial climate denialism and rampant incel-fuelled misogyny. With his slick direction and snappy edits, lifelong vegan Tom Pickering presents the key ideas of I Could Never Go Vegan in an affable manner. Seeking the help of nutrition experts, vegan athletes, climate activists and animal welfare advocates, Pickering methodically addresses the most common arguments against veganism.

The documentary explores the links between toxic masculinity and anti-vegan rhetoric. Contemporary incel culture paints veganism as symptomatic of the feminisation of society, but, as the filmmakers demonstrate, such ideation has permeated society long before the birth of the manosphere. Namely, the advertising industry has always sexualised meat, with chicken breast or a leg of lamb feminised and presented as something that “real men” consume. The myriad hyper-masculine vegan bodies presented to the audience serve as an antidote to such propagation.

But in dispelling propaganda, the filmmakers can’t help engaging in it themselves. Finger-wagging rhetoric around cancer and chronic illnesses being intrinsically linked to meat consumption comes across as more than a tad ableist. The fact that Pickering needs to preface biting into a mouthful of plant-based cake with “it’s not health food” is testament to this dichotomy. Moreover, the documentary devotes a large amount of time to extolling the virtues of veganism without delving into the perniciousness of the meat and dairy industries in any significant way, instead favouring stylised shots of muscular vegan physiques lifting weights without breaking a sweat. The fleeting presence of acclaimed climate activist George Monbiot, for instance, seems a wasted opportunity for pertinent insight. However, this omission of radical treatise may be by design, a counter, perhaps, to the stereotypical image of the proselytising vegan.    

An earnest look at the benefits of veganism, both for people and the planet, I Could Never Go Vegan does a thorough job of dispelling anti-vegan myths through accessible storytelling.   

Antonia Georgiou

I Could Never Go Vegan is released in select cinemas on 19^th April 2024.

Watch the trailer for I Could Never Go Vegan here: