×
Home > Blog > Environment

5 Must-Watch Environmental Films

Pick up the newspaper or scroll through your favorite news site and you’re sure to encounter stories about the environment. In this age of technological advancement, a new awareness is emerging. If before, modernization meant bypassing Mother Nature in favor of human comfort, now it means minimizing our impact on the environment.

But even in reel life, environmental issues make for compelling drama. Watch these films that will inspire and motivate you to continue fighting for the green cause.
Avatar (Lightstorm Entertainment, 2009)

An epic sci-fi blockbuster movie that hit almost $3 billion worldwide, this film tells the story of the Na’vi people or blue-skinned sapient humanoids who show their deep appreciation for the environment—unlike the people on Earth who destroy the environment to fuel their greed.
Watch as Jake Sully, the human who eventually became one with the Na’vi, fight his own species who colonized Pandora, the Na’vi’s home.

The Day after Tomorrow (Centropolis Entertainment/Lionsgate Films/Mark Gordon Company, 2004)
If you’re a fan of disaster movies, this film, which describes the effects of global warming, is perfect for you. The film shows various disasters, which could be real: glaciers breaking, tornadoes, gigantic flashfloods, snowstorms and such. The visual effects are astounding, and will make you wish that these scenarios won’t happen to us in the future. According to scientists, though the disastrous events happening within a short time frame is far from probable, climate change may have such consequences.

Wall-E (Walt Disney Pictures, 2008)

Nowadays, animated movies are not just intended for children. An example of this is Wall-E that stars a small and charming robot of the same name. In the movie, Wall-E exists in a future where Earth is nothing but a giant landfill. Humans live in a space-cruise ship wallowing in obesity because of their lack of exercise and screen addiction. Tackling environmental issues, particularly waste and pollution, the movie shows how humans and nature are inseparable.

Before the Flood (Appian Way, 2016)

This documentary features Hollywood actor Leonardo Dicaprio as he journeys to different parts of the world affected by global warming. Disasters such as the melting of ice, drought, destruction of ecosystems, and severe storms show how human activities have impacted the planet. The film reminds us that we are all responsible for our future, and that it is never too late to be humane.

Trashed (Blenheim Films, 2012)

This environmental documentary features Jeremy Irons, an English actor, who discussed how waste pollution affected the environment. The film shows that landfills are not exactly fail-safe, especially if it contains non-biodegradables, such as plastic that pollute our bodies of water. But if we use the incinerator where we burn garbage, this process creates a very toxic substance called dioxin that’s hazardous to living things including unborn babies.
On the upside, the film teaches ways to lessen our wastes including recycling and upcycling. Through habit and discipline, it’s not too late to create a healthier future.

By Panahon TV Intern Hannaneel Mendoza