Out of Plain Sight

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Out of Plain Sight

2025

1h 34m

Documentary

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7 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

From Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia and Academy Award®-winning L.A. Times Studios, OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT is a cinematic exposé of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California. Not far from Catalina Island, aboard one of the most-advanced research ships in the world, David Valentine discovered a corroded barrel on the seafloor that gave him chills. The full environmental horror sharpens into greater clarity once he calls Los Angeles Times journalist Rosanna Xia, who pieces together a shocking revelation: In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste had been quietly dumped into the ocean -- and the consequences continue to haunt the world today.

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

Nov 25

Chilling and also very briskly paced... Equal parts illuminating, unsettling and infuriating.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Nov 24

“Out of Plain Sight” doesn’t need to be earthshaking filmmaking to relay a valuable ongoing story about a hidden nightmare for all of us.

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Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

Jul 15

Out of Plain Sight is a masterful documentary that tells the decades-spanning story of what is essentially a Pandora’s Box of forever chemicals.

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Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

Jun 27

A powerful, beautifully crafted, and deeply unsettling film that is essential viewing for anyone who cares about the planet.

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Paula Farmer

culturevulture.net

Apr 15

The film’s style and approach, coupled with the disturbing, yet invaluable information, and shot in way that is richly layered and deeply engaging, make for a vital addition to environmental storytelling.

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Christopher Cross

Asynchronous Media

Feb 26

4/5

Straub and Xia survey the wide-reaching consequences of dumping toxic waste into the ocean and present a history of wanton destruction to Earth and a failure to protect the natural world we depend on.

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Adolfo F

@PopcornReceipt03 Dec 18

Out of Plain Sight is a powerful documentary that is beautifully shot and will leave you thinking about what we do not see and choose not to see. The film follows LA Times reporter Rosanna Xia as she investigates a long hidden environmental problem, meeting researchers, scientists, and everyday people who are just as driven to understand what is happening and what lies at the bottom of our ocean. At a time when journalism is under attack, the documentary offers a rare look at the rigor and care journalists bring to their work to produce meaningful reporting. Highly recommend it to anyone who cares about our oceans, the environment and journalism.

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Tim T

Nov 25

Thought provoking with great sound, music and cinematography makes it feel like you’re going along for the as part of the crew. It feels like you’re discovering things as you go along with the scientists and Rosanna. The reactions feel genuine and incredible. It humanizes science and the magic and horror of discovery. 10/10 would get horrified again.

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Genevieve H.

@Viola1604 Nov 25

This film is a truly gripping display of the power of patience & diligence and heart in the service of uncovering a necessary story. Those qualities are reflected not only in the work of the many diverse scientists included as experts, but equally in the work of print journalist Xia. She is as committed as her scientific community partners to the mission of explaining the endlessly lingering dangers of “forever” chemicals, and shares her heart as well as her deep expertise with us. A riveting, beautifully made film that I can’t wait to watch again.

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Daniel Straub

Director

Rosanna Xia

Director

Austin Straub

Producer

Daniel Straub

Producer

Rosanna Xia

Producer

Austin Straub

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Synopsis

From Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia and Academy Award®-winning L.A. Times Studios, OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT is a cinematic exposé of an environmental disaster lurking just off the coast of Southern California. Not far from Catalina Island, aboard one of the most-advanced research ships in the world, David Valentine discovered a corroded barrel on the seafloor that gave him chills. The full environmental horror sharpens into greater clarity once he calls Los Angeles Times journalist Rosanna Xia, who pieces together a shocking revelation: In the years after World War II, as many as half a million barrels of toxic waste had been quietly dumped into the ocean -- and the consequences continue to haunt the world today.

Director: Daniel Straub, Rosanna Xia
Producer: Austin Straub, Daniel Straub, Rosanna Xia
Production Co: L.A. Times Studios, Sypher Studios
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 2025, Limited
Runtime: 1h 34m