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As veganism moves further into mainstream culture, filmmakers are exploring fresh ways to tell stories that awaken compassion. Now, a new feature film is taking that idea to the next level by disguising a powerful vegan message inside a vegan mystery thriller.
Cooked with Love, a forthcoming theatrical film by the Croatian writer-director-producer Bruno Bilandzija, has been described as a “Trojan horse for compassion.”
Cooked with Love blends the intensity of a mystery thriller with the moral insight of a documentary, and is designed to appeal even to audiences who would never watch a film labeled as “vegan.” Bruno told Plant Based News (PBN), “I set out to create a film that condenses the long journey to compassion into a single, transformative experience.”
A psychological twist on vegan storytelling
The story follows a broke, ruthless man with a predatory mindset. While traveling overseas for a job meant to save his family, he becomes entangled with a mysterious woman during dinner at an exotic restaurant. There, for the first time, he seems to have become the prey.
As the journey unfolds, he faces moral dilemmas that force him to confront his deepest beliefs, setting him on a path of self-discovery and transformation. Rather than preaching or showing overt animal cruelty, Cooked with Love uses emotion, narrative, and psychology to create empathy from within.
Drawing on advanced, psychological storytelling techniques, Bruno designed his film to immerse viewers in the mindset of its morally conflicted protagonist, so that as he transforms, the audience transforms with him, experiencing that change firsthand.
The result is a film that feels like a mainstream thriller but subtly challenges viewers to question the ethics of their food choices. The screenplay, which is available for supporters on the film’s official website, left early readers visibly moved, with some admitting they’d never look at food the same way again.
Hollywood composer Kim Allen Kluge, a collaborator of Martin Scorsese, said, “Cooked with Love is one of those rare thrillers that is simultaneously popular and gripping entertainment as well as serious drama – an unforgettable story that changes both the heart and the mind. Its underpinnings and undertones address issues of the greatest contemporary urgency.”
From the heart of Croatia to the world
Cooked with Love is currently in post-production and set for release in 2026. The film is produced by Bruno’s own company, VUtopia, which is based in Vukovar, Croatia, a city that was completely destroyed during the war. For Bruno, who grew up there, the film is art, but also a vehicle to rebuild empathy in a world numbed by violence.
As part of a larger initiative, Cooked with Love serves as the stepping stone of the VUtopia vision, which aims to help transform Vukovar into an awakened, self-sustainable, multicultural community and a living example of unity, healing, and renewal.
Bruno draws inspiration from vegan icons like Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, whose journey from dominance to conscience reflects the spirit of transformation that Cooked with Love embodies. Bruno says it has long been his dream to one day collaborate with Hamilton, seeing him as a symbol of courage and compassion.
Cooked with Love is pioneering a new kind of storytelling; one that blends entertainment with transformation. It’s a film meant to be felt. If you wish to join the movement and be part of the project’s journey, you can find out how to contribute, collaborate, or help amplify its message at www.cookedwithlovemovie.com.
This article was produced editorially; however, Plant Based News has a partnership based around whitelisted paid ads with ‘Cooked With Love,’ produced by VUtopia.
