Rating: ★★★

I know little about dinosaurs and fossil hunting but I was still very intrigued by The New Extinction, a fascinating documentary that explores a huge debate within the field. Director Kyle Lloyd Arpke introduces us to both sides of the argument, encouraging us to really think about things and where our own opinion lies.

The two main subjects of The New Extinction are paleontologist Thomas Carr and commercial fossil hunter Alan Detrich. We follow both of these men closely throughout the documentary’s 90 minute runtime, where we get to learn more about their respective roles. As you may have guessed already, the two sides of the coin are scientific access vs private ownership and what should become of these extraordinary finds.

Arpke adopts a simple filmmaking approach here. But the rawness of the movie allows the debate to take centre stage, it’s really the vox pops and people’s opinions that we should be focused on, even if the landscapes themselves are beautiful. That being said, there are some very well shot scenes of excavations which are incredibly exciting to witness.

Everyone in the documentary has strong thoughts about the future of paleontology and I felt that both sides were presented well. Fossils are a valuable commodity but they can also be preserved for educational purposes, so what is the “correct” way to approach them? It’s something that Arpke wants us to deeply consider, and I have a feeling I’ll be invested in this debate long after the ending of this documentary.

I enjoy seeking out documentaries about topics that are unknown to me, or that I’ve never really taken much interest in, and I can safely say that The New Extinction is very accessible. You don’t need to be a science expert to understand what’s going on, and it becomes very clear how important this debate is. We all have memories of touring museums and learning things whilst getting up close to discoveries that sometimes feel so unbelievable. But private collectors are putting museums and researchers at risk, something that the documentary certainly doesn’t shy away from.

Fossil hunter Detrich is not entirely villainised in this documentary, but he is certainly held to account by the filmmakers. One such controversy sees a listing for a museum-loaned juvenile T-Rex on eBay for $2.95 million. Should something as precious as this be sold on an easily-accessible auction site instead of a specialist place or indeed, a museum? This is one of many questions that the film poses to us.

It is likely many of us will choose to side with the researchers who are doing this for the love of history and to preserve knowledge. Paleontologist Carr is a very likeable person who clearly cares about what he’s doing far beyond monetary gain. But there’s no easy answer to this debate, something that the documentary does make clear.

The New Extinction is a fascinating insight into an important debate and I would recommend checking it out if you are keen to learn more about this scientific field. It is clear Arpke cares deeply about this subject, and that care is infectious. I was invested the whole time.

On the surface it is a very simple documentary, but the ethical questions it poses will likely have a lasting impact on viewers. Hopefully one day we can reach a conclusion for the best way to preserve and honour these fascinating finds.

The New Extinction plays at DOC NYC on November 15 and 17. Online screenings are available between November 16 and 29, and can be purchased here.