Narrated and executive produced by Sean Penn, The Human Experiment is what happens when that tiny little voice in the back of your head becomes so frustrated by your obliviousness that it one day decides to start shouting into your ear. It’s no industry secret that unnatural chemicals have the potential to wreak havoc on the human body, but since American consumers always assume that there are strict standards Big Chemical must play by, we’ve always felt a false sense of security. Demolishing that illusion of safety entirely, The Human Experiment takes what should be healthy adults and explains why they suffer from cancer, infertility and too many other problems to name. It’s a play-by-play of the actions taken by large companies that are knowingly poisoning consumers while manipulating politicians, and how a small few are choosing to fight back.

This is an exceptional film that breaks down the dangers of the chemical industry to its most basic elements: greed, fear and ignorance. Many people will see Penn’s involvement as a sign that the movie has some sort of slant, but it really doesn’t. The information presented in the narrative is, for the most part, fairly approachable from all sides, which as the film points out is eerily similar to the actions of major tobacco companies.

I loved this documentary, and I think viewers will have a tough time finding another film that applies itself so universally that it affects everyone. It really has a lot to offer.