Environmental movies are a great way to get informed, inspired, and active in solving pressing issues. While we could easily come up with a list of 50 or 100 environmental films, we’re starting with 16 of our favorites.

Whether you’re into wild places, how food security and shopping choices impact the planet, or simply want to learn more about the effects of plastic and climate science, this list has something for everyone.

And, to take a break from the standard eco-anxiety doom and gloom, we’ve included a few uplifting environmental movies, too.

So, pop-on a zero-waste pot of organic popcorn, snuggle up in your sustainable PJs and eco fleece blanket, and get ready to surf the world and learn what we can do to save it.

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Index: The Best Environmental Films

  1. Planet Earth Jump to store
  2. The Blue Planet Jump to store
  3. Chasing Coral Jump to store
  4. Chasing Ice Jump to store
  5. Racing Extinction Jump to store
  6. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret Jump to store
  7. Wasted! The Story Of Food Waste Jump to store
  8. Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story Jump to store
  9. The True Cost Jump to store
  10. Surviving Progress Jump to store
  11. A Plastic Ocean Jump to store
  12. Tapped Jump to store
  13. An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power Jump to store
  14. 2040 Jump to store
  15. The 11th Hour Jump to store
  16. Before The Flood Jump to store

Planet Earth

Environmentalism starts with understanding what we’re trying to save.

There’s no better way to see our beautiful planet than through the eyes of the Planet Earth filmmakers. David Attenborough (and his enchanting voice) takes viewers on a journey around the globe—to 64 different countries over the course of four years.

The literally breathtaking shots of Earth’s plants and animals will leave you in awe at our marvelous planet. This is one of our all time faves.

The Blue Planet

Keep the David Attenborough momentum going with The Blue Planet. Produced by BBC Earth, this 8-part TV docuseries is probably the best deep dive into the Earth’s oceans.

As a winner of two Primetime Emmys, Blue Planet does an excellent job balancing all of the wonders of our oceans and the creatures who call it home, while also documenting the problems they face.

If you haven’t gotten enough ocean-awe by the end, Blue Planet II will certainly wet your appetite.

Chasing Coral

Perfect for those looking for environmental movies on Netflix, this documentary takes viewers on a thrilling adventure to explore the coral reefs around the world that are quickly disappearing.

It takes a look at the alien-like underwater world and starkly highlights the impacts of humans on these fragile eco-systems.

Chasing Coral is the product of more than 500 hours spent underwater in 30 different countries. The dedicated filmmakers won the Sundance Film Festival award among many others for this work of art.

While we’re on the subject of Netflix docos, another ocean based Flik creating waves along the same lines (which we can’t recommend enough) is Seaspiracy.

Caution: this will undoubtedly change your attitude towards seafood consumption.

Chasing Ice

Preceding Chasing Coral by a few years, Chasing Ice is the award-winning documentary that, quite literally, chases Earth’s disappearing ice.

Earth’s landscape is changing drastically, glaciers perhaps most dramatically of all. While not everyone can visit such environments, this documentary captures the devastation in real-time.

If you’re looking for a stunning visual representation of how global warming is changing our planet, this is worth a Friday night screening. Especially since this environmental film on Netflix is accessible with the press of a button.

Stop chasing down your next binge-able sitcom and start Chasing Ice instead.

Racing Extinction

“When you lose the small things, everything fails,” Academy Award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos says. But with this next environmental movie he doesn’t just say it. He shows it.

The 2015 “eco-thriller” Racing Extinction gives viewers a never-before-seen look at mass extinction and endangered species.

You may not know this, but the world is in the midst of the sixth mass extinction.

With the survival of half of all species (seriously!) hanging in the balance, this documentary uses covert tactics and a powerful narrative style to teach viewers about extinction as it happens naturally, and how that process is being expedited by human actions (like our dependence on oil and gas).

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

For environmental movies with the most impact, many people consider Cowspiracy a life-changer.

Taking a look at the planet’s most destructive industry—animal agriculture—the film highlights the impact of our diet on habitat loss, species extinction, erosion, and planetary warming.

This film will certainly make you second guess that cheeseburger you just ordered for dinner. If you need a final push towards a plant-based diet, this could be it.

This is another of our favorite environmental films on Netflix, as it’s not just informative but entertaining through and through. You know we’ve got a soft spot for that punny title.

Wasted! The Story Of Food Waste

We’ve mentioned this time and time again here on Sustainable Jungle, food waste is one of the most prolific (yet entirely preventable) categories of waste out there. Which is why we’re such big proponents of composting.

If you don’t believe us, maybe you’ll believe the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, producer of our next eco film.

Looking at it another way what we eat impacts our planet, Wasted! The Story of Food Waste takes viewers on a journey from farm to landfill and shares how small (and tasty) changes can solve one of the 21st century’s greatest problems.

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story

Speaking of food waste, have you ever looked at a grocery store or Starbucks dumpster and wondered what sort of edible goodies are in there?

Partners Jen and Grant sure did, which led them to quit grocery shopping and survive only on discarded food.

Just Eat It is not only funny as fudge, but also takes a look at food waste in full, from farming to stores to our very own refrigerators.

For more zero waste shenanigans by Jen and Grant, you can also check out their first film, The Clean Bin Project, where the two competed to see who could produce the least amount of garbage across an entire year.

The True Cost

As the name suggests, The True Cost takes a look at the true cost of fast fashion and the impact of the clothing industry.

Clothing has been getting cheaper and cheaper, while the environmental and social costs have grown tremendously.

This documentary begins with the Rana Plaza incident and takes soon-to-be-horrified fashionistas through fashion’s many issues. Beyond that, it offers a solution by showing what an ethical and sustainable fashion industry could look like.

This groundbreaking documentary will have you re-thinking your wardrobe (after which we have all sorts of sustainable fashion guides to help you out).

Surviving Progress

Surviving Progress takes a look at where we are, how we’ve developed and the consequences our advancement has had (on the environment and society as a whole).

Featuring interviews with experts like Stephen Hawking, Margaret Atwood, and Jane Goodall, this film leaves viewers with one question: are we living in a truly thriving society? Can there simply be too much of a good thing?

A Plastic Ocean

“We need a wave of a change.” And if you don’t already believe those words, this next film will change your mind.

This Netflix documentary investigates how plastic pollution is ending up in Earth’s oceans. A Plastic Ocean features shots from more than 20 different locations to show viewers that the health of our waters may be more fragile than we think—but we can do something about it.

Tapped

When it comes to films about environmental sustainability, we can’t ignore this one.

Tapped takes a look at one of the greatest threats to our environment—the bottled water industry. Exploring how bottled water affects climate change, pollution, our health, and our dependence on oil, this documentary will cause you to forever rethink what it means to stay hydrated.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power

Al Gore first introduced pop culture to the climate crisis with his documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

Which was easily one of the top environmental films of all time, if for no other reason than it brought public awareness to the issue of climate change.

A decade later, he released An Inconvenient Sequel reminding us that the stakes have never been higher and we have what it takes to overcome climate change—passion and human ingenuity.

2040

2040 is one of the refreshingly positive environmental films to come out of the past couple of years.

While it presents viewers with a summary of some of the top issues that need a solution, it also highlights how capable we are at addressing some of this century’s greatest problems.

Told as a story to director Damon Gameau’s 4-year-old daughter, who will be 25 by the film’s namesake year, the film succinctly divides climate issues into categories (like renewable energy) and breaks down the progress and hopeful advancements being made in each.

“I think there’s room for a different story,” Gameau says in the darn near heartwarming film that can bring us all some much-needed climate optimism.

The 11th Hour

There have been many good environmental movies that have been released over the past couple of decades, but The 11th Hour gets extra points because it was one of the first.

This 2007 film was made by Leonardo DiCaprio and was one of the first to highlight the environmental challenges we face (second only to An Inconvenient Truth). Beyond calling out the issue, it also suggests tangible action for how to address global warming.

Before The Flood

Leonardo Dicaprio did it again in 2016 with the environmental movie, Before the Flood.

The documentary features our favorite Hollywood heartthrob travelling around the globe to see the effects of climate change that are already happening as well as what can be done to solve the crisis we face.

Leo may be a great actor, but the drama behind our current situation steals the screen.

Featuring scientists, faith leaders, politicians, visionaries, and other experts, this is one of the environmental film documentaries everyone needs to watch.