20 Must See Environmental Documentaries

Watching environmental documentaries isn’t always the most uplifting way of spending one’s leisure time. Give me surf movies or climbing films any day. But I’m someone who relishes my connection to nature and the outdoor world. And what’s the use in having a passion for something if we’re prepared to make changes to protect it? Plus, inspiration doesn’t just come from positive things. It can also come from seeing and understanding the need for change.

So I’ve spent the winter watching as many documentaries about the environment as I’ve been able to stomach. While some were not especially enjoyable, highlighting the frightening plight of our planet, others left me feeling hopeful, inspired and motivated to take action.

Enjoyable or not, watching environmental documentaries is super important and should be done by everyone who has access to them. Though hard-hitting and often emotional, the below list of environmental films are the ones that had the highest impact on me and have led to lasting personal change, like finally cutting fish out of my diet. And I’ve not looked back. A quick reminder of the state of our seas, as highlighted in Seaspiracy, is more than enough to keep from choosing a delicious sea bass meal over plant-based alternatives.

If you’re feeling the need to make some personal changes, to be shocked into action or simply to be educated on the issues we are all facing, then you’re in the right place. Take a deep breath and dive head-first into these environmental documentaries that will hopefully change your life, for the better.

7 environmental documentaries to shock you into action

• Seaspiracy
• Extinction: The Facts
• Chasing Coral
• Breaking Boundaries
• My Octopus Teacher
• 2040
• The Year Earth Changed
• 13 more environmental documentaries to watch

Seaspiracy

Since its release in 2021, I’ve been reluctant to watch Seaspiracy, knowing that it would force me into cutting fish out of my meat-free diet. I convinced myself that the fish I eat – bought from the local fishmonger who buys it fresh off the boats at our nearby fishing harbour – is a sustainable way to consume fish. But it only took 20 minutes of watching this hard-hitting, moving and very well put together documentary for me to decide to cut the fish out once and for all.

Director and presenter Ali Tabrizi, goes to great lengths to uncover some shocking and disturbing truths about the international fishing industry, picking apart the notion that fishing can be done in a sustainable way. What he presents is hard to hear and makes a mockery of the so-called sustainability regulators who control the industry and its impact on our precious oceans as well as the workers who run it.

If you need a reason to cut down (or out) your fish consumption, then this important environmental documentary will 100% push you in the right direction.

Extinction: The Facts

If the hard-hitting reality of the plight of the fishing industry wasn’t brought home by watching Seaspiracy, then this David Attenborough documentary ought to do it. It covers the multi-faceted and complex relationship that humans have with the animal kingdom and the consequent destruction of the planet and self-destruction of our own species, as proven in the Covid-19 epidemic.

In true Attenborough style, this environmental documentary pulls relentlessly on the heart-strings. It left me angry, in despair, crying and yet hopeful, all in the space of an hour! It also left me feeling compelled to make some immediate changes to my own lifestyle, and I don’t doubt that it will have the same effect on you, too.

Chasing Coral

Unless you have a special relationship with and deep understanding of our oceans, Chasing Coral will be less of an emotional investment compared with many of the other environmental documentaries on this list. That said, its uncovering of the state of the planet’s vital coral reefs is nonetheless deeply concerning, saddening and, quite frankly, maddening.

The film follows the journey of a team of dedicated divers and marine scientists who manage to capture on camera the dramatic bleaching of the corals between 2014 and 2017. The results of their studies are stark, to say the least. They are also presented in such a way that the heavy scientific element of the documentary is brought right back down to earth making it highly accessible and hard-hitting to all viewers.

Breaking Boundaries

If the idea of watching all of the above environmental documentaries is too emotionally involved (which I can certainly relate to!), then just watch Breaking Boundaries. This concise and deeply concerning documentary, narrated by David Attenborough, covers the nine elements of peril that our planet is currently facing, from coral bleaching to biodiversity loss, and everything in between.

It’s fast-paced with excellent visuals to show all too clearly where we’re at as a planet, and where we should and, more importantly, could be. It delves into just enough scientific detail for viewers to understand what’s being presented, without going too deeply into each element.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. As well as the terrifyingly real data that is presented, scientist Johan Rockström also provides solutions and hope with a very real possibility that we CAN come out of this crisis positively.

My Octopus Teacher

My Octopus Teacher is a delight for the senses that will leave you smiling in wonder and awe. It’s also a welcome change from the heavy and dramatic themes of some of the other films on this list.

The captivating documentary follows the unique and unusual underwater relationship between a free diver and a young octopus growing up in a South African kelp forest. You’ll be mesmerised and moved in equal measure, and probably come away with a deep desire to get into the sea immediately!

Aside from the visually breathtaking scenes and emotional connection between the two stars of the show, My Octopus Teacher still manages to address the bigger issues of humankind’s relationship with the natural world. A must watch for families.

2040

Another option for those after some more lightweight viewing is 2040. Directed and narrated by Australian actor Damon Gameau, 2040 presents a potential future that is so positive it’s verging on utopic. But this dream-like depiction of our could-be planet isn’t just an image conjured up by optimists to give us false hope that there’s a way out of this mess. It is, in fact, based on technology and projects that are already happening.

With the motivation of his little girl’s future in mind, Gameau takes his viewers on a journey of discovery to prove that we could actually turn our planet’s plight around. From the mass cultivation of seaweed to the creation of local energy networks and more, the solutions portrayed in this lighthearted environmental film offer deep hope and optimism for a bright future. We just need to make it happen, now.

The Year Earth Changed

This is one for all the animal-lovers out there. And with David Attenborough as the narrator, you’ll be drawn in and mesmerised by the story-telling and the filming whether you’re an animal-lover or not.

Released in 2021 after a year of COVID19 restrictions, The Year Earth Changed documents the natural world as it thrives during human lockdown. Habitats are reclaimed, feeding habits return to normal, pollution levels plummet and as a result, nature is given a unique opportunity to bounce back after decades of abuse and misuse.

It’s a heartwarming and jolly documentary that puts a very positive spin on a time that was, for many, bleak and desperate. It will also leave you feeling somewhat hopeful about the future, if only us humans were prepared to adapt to the “new normal” with an altered expectation of what we can take from our planet.

13 more environmental documentaries to watch

If you managed to watch all the above environmental films then well done! They’re not easy to watch. And if you’re hungry for more then here are some more options to watch:

• I Am Greta

  Year: 2020
  Trailer: YouTube
  “Intimate documentary about a young girl who has become the voice of a generation. The story of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is told through compelling, never-before-seen footage.”

• The Need To Grow

  Year: 2019
  More info: Foodrevolution.org
  “The Need To GROW follows pioneers of cutting edge technology as they fight to localize sustainable food systems and regenerate Earth’s dying soils.”

• Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

  Year: 2014
  More info: Cowspiracy.com
  “Follow the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability.”

• Plastic Island

  Year: 2021
  Trailer: YouTube
  “This remarkable documentary follows a musician, a biologist and a lawyer who join forces to fight against plastic pollution in Indonesia.”

• Before The Flood

  Year: 2017
  More info: Beforetheflood.com
  “Actor Leonardo DiCaprio meets with scientists, activists and world leaders to discuss the dangers of climate change and possible solutions.”

• The Plastic Problem

  Year: 2019
  Trailer: YouTube
  “By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. PBS NewsHour takes a closer look at this now ubiquitous material, how it’s impacting the world and ways we can break our plastic addiction.”

• David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

  Year: 2020
  Trailer: YouTube
  “A broadcaster recounts his life, and the evolutionary history of life on Earth, to grieve the loss of wild places and offer a vision for the future.”

• Just Eat it! A Food Waste Story

  Year: 2019
  More info: Foodwastemovie.com
  “We all love food. As a society, we devour countless cooking shows, culinary magazines and foodie blogs. So how could we possibly be throwing nearly 50% of it in the trash?”

• Cooked: Survival by Zip Code

  Year: 2019
  Trailer: YouTube
  “A life and death story about extreme heat, the politics of “disaster” and survival by zip code.”

• Generation Green New Deal

  Year: 2020
  More info: Generationgreennewdeal.com
  “Generation Green New Deal is a feature documentary film about a youth-led movement that fights to tackle the climate crisis and economic inequality, amidst fierce opposition.”

• Takeout

  Year: 2020
  More info: Takeoutdocumentary.com
  “It is a movie about the amazon forest fires and its connection to the meat industry in Brazil and around the world.”

• Dominion

  Year: 2018
  More info: Dominionmovement.com
  “Dominion uses drones, hidden and handheld cameras to expose the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture, questioning the morality and validity of humankind’s dominion over the animal kingdom.”

• Ice On Fire

  Year: 2019
  Trailer: YouTube
  “A 2019 documentary which explores the potential extinction level event caused by arctic methane release, and the newly developed technologies that could reverse global warming by sequestering carbon out of the atmosphere.”

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