Documentary films are unique activists’ tactics to target firms’ or industries’ practices. The success depends on whether the targeting firms or industries would respond. Little research has explored this interesting phenomenon. In an effort to understand activism toward corporations, this paper explains when firms or industries are attacked by documentary films, how CEOs would respond to these social claims. I argue that CEOs’ concerns for social issues depend on their personal values, as well as the degree of discretion they have to act on their values. Particularly, I explore how individual CEO political ideology, conservative or liberalism, would influence the firms’ responses to activism, which, in turn, have further impact shaping stakeholders’ reactions. In addition, I propose that field cohesion, first response in the industry, and public attention influence the relationship between CEO ideology and firms’ responses to activism.