Five must-see environmental films on Netflix

Inspired by the recent launch of Our Planet on Netflix, we’ve put together a list of five must-see environmental films, which can help us all learn more about the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change.

From timely environmental documentary series, Our Planet, presented by Sir David Attenborough, to the fictional story of Okja with it’s powerful message about meat, these inspiring films on Netflix are not to be missed.

Our Planet
“Netflix’s breathtaking, multimillion-dollar nature show not only poached David Attenborough – it stole the BBC’s thunder,” says The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan.

Our Planet assists in solving issues including Global Warming, Climate Change, Ocean and Air Pollution, Species Extinction, Animal Cruelty and Abuse, Water Shortages, Rainforest degradation, Homelessness and Poverty.

Presented by the inspiring Sir David Attenborough, One Planet includes World Thought Leaders, Scientists, Activists and Corporate Leaders doing good things for the planet. The movie will be part of the solution bringing the aforementioned leaders to work together on a global level.

Before the Flood
Before Our Planet, there was Before the Flood (2016). From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace, Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent the disruption of life on our planet.

Beyond the steps we can take as individuals, the film urges viewers to push their elected officials in supporting the use of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power. “We need everyone to demand bold action from their political leaders and to elect representatives who have their best interests at heart, not the interests of corporations to perpetuate a cycle of greed and destruction,” says DiCaprio. “This documentary shows how interconnected the fate of all humanity is — but also the power we all possess as individuals to build a better future for our planet.” Trailer

Cowspiracy
Thought-provoking documentary Cowspiracy explores the negative impact agricultural farming has on the environment. The film was crowdfunded in 2014 and a version exec-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio was eventually released on Netflix in 2015.

The authority of the film has been questioned by some and it’s certainly true that facts around global warming are at times squeezed to fit narrative. However, the impact of the film is undeniable. Trailer

Okja
Netflix original Okja came out in 2017 and immediately won over a cult audience. The film is focused around the great friendship between a young girl and an adorable ‘super pig’ by the name of Okja. One day their lives are torn apart when the animal is chosen to be the face of a new mass-farming initiative by the sinister Miranda corporation.

Tilda Swinton is incredibly watchable as eccentric CEO Miranda and Jake Gyllenhaal seems to have heaps of fun playing a disturbed celebrity zoologist. However, for all the quirky and funny aspects of the film, the powerful message at its heart is what really shines through. Trailer

A Plastic Ocean
In A Plastic Ocean, an international team of adventurers, researchers, and Ocean ambassadors go on a mission to uncover the truth about what is truly lurking beneath the surface of our seemingly pristine Ocean. The results will astound viewers – just as it did the films’ adventurers – who captured never-before-seen images of marine life, plastic pollution, and its ultimate consequences for human health.

A Plastic Ocean is an adventure documentary shot on more than 20 locations over four years. Explorers Craig Leeson and Tanya Streeter and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions. Trailer

If you feel inspired the films above to take action, whether it’s writing to politicians, joining a local or national campaign, or giving up meat, let us know in the comments below.