The Ivory Game

Play trailer

1:42

The Ivory Game

2016

1h 52m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

22 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Ivory is a prized status symbol for middle-class Chinese, and poachers in pursuit of white gold are slaughtering African elephants in record numbers. Filmmakers went undercover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Hard-hitting and ambitious to a fault, The Ivory Game serves as a fittingly urgent call to action against a looming threat against vulnerable wildlife and a fragile ecosystem.

Read Critics Reviews

Christy Lemire

RogerEbert.com

Nov 4, 2016

3/4

A documentary that plays with the gripping pacing and glossy production values of a suspenseful, international thriller.

Go to Full Review

Ken Jaworowski

New York Times

Nov 3, 2016

While more information on the animals and their ecosystems is needed, the stakes described here are immense, as is the sorrow over majestic creatures massacred only so that their tusks can be made into baubles.

Go to Full Review

Sheri Linden

Los Angeles Times

Nov 3, 2016

The cameras avoid the goriest angles of the mutilated animals, but the horror is amplified as the film moves from the savannas of Kenya and Tanzania to display windows in Hong Kong showcasing carved ivory curios.

Go to Full Review

David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Jan 4, 2021

Davidson and Ladkani spend too much time manufacturing intrigue in The Ivory Game. Their lack of focus gives the impression of a lack of confidence. That's going to make it difficult to change anyone's mind.

Go to Full Review

Jay Kuehner

Cinema Scope

Oct 10, 2017

It doesn't take an ethnography lab to unpack the vested power of a tusk, but perhaps a more rigorous empiricism (e.g., Farocki), while compromising box-office appeal, could better serve a more enduring agenda.

Go to Full Review

Glenn Dunks

The Film Experience

Jan 3, 2017

C+

...more or less derailed by a slavish devotion to a cinematic format that it is not suited to.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Violetta Darling

Sep 27, 2025

it should have gotten a higher rating in the 90s were important issue but it's not a video game or anime or things like that. We Need To Care More.

See more

Gareth v

@geewah Jun 22, 2023

An important doco that doesn't pretend to know all the answers and shines a light on to what is a cruel and greedy industry.

See more

Jan 27, 2020

A good doc re the ivory trade. It's sad to see animals being killed for monetary gain. You have to be some kind of psycho to be able to do that.

See more

Jan 11, 2020

Great stuff. It starts a bit slow but picks up shortly after the film begins. Very informative and entertaining . Highly recommend.

See more

Feb 21, 2018

Well rounded documentary that covers off both the poaching, and trading aspects. Quite a lot of characters though in the story results in a lot of repetition, perhaps more impactful if they'd gone for a more focused 60 minute documentary.

See more

Apr 2, 2017

must see, exciting to see that there are people who are fighting for the Elephants, boycott China!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Kief Davidson

Director

Richard Ladkani

Director

Prince William

Self

Kief Davidson

Producer

Wolfgang Knöpfler

Producer

Walter Kohler

Producer

13TH

97%

90%

13TH

Watchlist

TRAILER

for 13TH

Audrie & Daisy

87%

74%

Audrie & Daisy

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Audrie & Daisy

Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang

100%

85%

Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang

Seeing Allred

100%

82%

Seeing Allred

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Seeing Allred

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

97%

74%

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Crown, The Emperor’s New Groove, Grosse Pointe Blank, and More Available to Stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime

How Family-Friendly Are Doctor Strange, Trolls, and Loving?

The Ivory Game: Trailer 1

1:42

Now Playing

The Ivory Game: Featurette - Fighting the Trade

2:38

Now Playing

The Ivory Game: Trailer 1

1:43

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Ivory is a prized status symbol for middle-class Chinese, and poachers in pursuit of white gold are slaughtering African elephants in record numbers. Filmmakers went undercover for 16 months, infiltrating and documenting the deep-rooted corruption at the heart of the global ivory trafficking crisis.

Director: Kief Davidson, Richard Ladkani
Producer: Kief Davidson, Wolfgang Knöpfler, Walter Kohler
Production Co: Terra mater Factual Studios, Netflix
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 52m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings