EarlyGame | 20 Great Non-Documentary Movies About the Environment

Utama (2022)

In Utama, we’re transported to the sun-scorched highlands of Bolivia, where an elderly Quechua couple lives quietly – until climate change rudely disrupts their rhythm. This meditative, slow-burn film doesn’t need explosions or CGI to tug at your heart; it hits you with cracked earth, dry winds, and a love story that whispers rather than shouts. The power of Utama lies in its silence, the way it watches the natural world slip away through the eyes of people who can’t afford to move on. Lead actor José Calcina delivers a deeply grounded performance, making you feel every cracked lip and strained breath. It’s a quiet film with thunderous implications about water scarcity, cultural erosion, and the ticking clock of environmental collapse. Think of it as eco-minimalism – simple, soulful, and haunting. | © Alpha Violet

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022)

No, this isn't your average eco-thriller – it’s literally about eco-sabotage. How to Blow Up a Pipeline takes a group of climate-anxious twenty-somethings and gives them what most climate films don't: agency, chaos, and actual wire cutters. Based on Andreas Malm's radical non-fiction book (but told with way more flair), this movie doesn't tiptoe around the politics of environmentalism – it stomps right through them in steel-toed boots. You might recognize Euphoria’s Sasha Lane and The White Lotus’s Lukas Gage, who help bring a gritty, Gen Z edge to the story. The film zips back and forth in time, building tension like a bomb timer – because, well, there is a bomb. It's punk, it's political, and it practically dares you to ask yourself, “What would I do to stop climate change?” | © Neon

Don’t Look Up (2021)

What if climate change were an asteroid, and Leonardo DiCaprio had a panic attack on national TV trying to warn us? That’s basically Don’t Look Up, Adam McKay’s satirical rollercoaster that turns the slow-burn apocalypse into a chaotic meme-fest. DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play astronomers who discover a planet-killer comet, only to find that no one – neither the media, the government, nor the influencers – can take anything seriously. With a gloriously unhinged Meryl Streep as the president and Jonah Hill as her nepotism-loving chief of staff, this film is like watching a climate TED Talk while scrolling Twitter during a fire drill. It’s messy, meta, and sometimes too on-the-nose – but hey, the nose deserves it. Bonus: Ariana Grande shows up for one of the best satirical songs ever written about impending doom. | © Netflix

The Decline (2020)

Set in a frozen stretch of Quebec that makes The Revenant look like a beach vacation, The Decline follows a group of survivalist preppers training for the end of the world. But instead of Mother Nature being the villain, it's human paranoia that spirals everything out of control. What starts as a prepper bootcamp quickly devolves into icy chaos, with trust melting faster than the snow around them. While there aren’t any Hollywood A-listers here, the cast of rugged Quebecois actors – including Guillaume Laurin and Marie-Evelyne Lessard – bring enough intensity to keep your knuckles white. It’s part thriller, part warning: sometimes, the biggest threat to survival isn't the wilderness – it’s us. Also, fair warning: you might suddenly want to buy a wood stove and learn how to make jerky. | © Netflix

Dark Waters (2019)

Mark Ruffalo trades his Hulk smash for legal briefs in Dark Waters, a slow-burning courtroom drama that’s more terrifying than most horror films – because it’s real. Based on the true story of attorney Robert Bilott, the film follows his years-long battle against chemical giant DuPont, which (spoiler) was poisoning an entire town’s water supply with Teflon chemicals. Ruffalo is joined by a powerhouse cast, including Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins, bringing all the righteous indignation a whistleblower tale deserves. This isn't a flashy film – it’s grim, gray, and methodical – but it sticks with you like... well, like PFOA chemicals in your bloodstream. The worst part? It’ll make you suspicious of everything from your frying pan to your raincoat. | © Focus Features

Weathering With You (2019)

If Studio Ghibli had a moody Gen Z cousin who loved rain and existential dread, it might be Weathering With You. Directed by Makoto Shinkai, this visually stunning anime tells the story of a teenage runaway who meets a girl with the power to control the weather – yes, the actual weather. What follows is a love story wrapped in climate symbolism, with Tokyo flooding in the background like nature’s messy breakup letter. The animation is so gorgeous you’ll want to pause every frame and hang it on your wall. And while there aren’t traditional celebrities here, fans of Your Name will recognize the familiar emotional gut punches. It’s climate fiction with tears, tunes, and typhoons. | © CoMix Wave Films

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)

Get ready to believe in the power of brains, heart, and junkyard windmills. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is based on the inspiring true story of William Kamkwamba, a Malawian teen who teaches himself to build a wind turbine during a devastating famine. Directed by and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor – yes, the same Chiwetel from 12 Years a Slave – this one’s a rare environmental film that’s genuinely hopeful. It's about resilience in the face of drought, about using science for survival, and about how much impact one determined teenager can actually make. And hey, it’s also a reminder that maybe we should all pay more attention in physics class. | © Netflix

Annihilation (2018)

If you’ve ever wanted to see Natalie Portman battle a psychedelic nightmare of ecological collapse and mutated deer, Annihilation is your movie. This sci-fi thriller, directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina), drops a team of women scientists – played by Portman, Tessa Thompson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Gina Rodriguez – into a mysterious zone called “The Shimmer.” Things inside are... weird. Like, “is that a bear screaming with a human voice?” kind of weird. At its core, this is a trippy meditation on nature’s terrifying adaptability, wrapped in body horror and rainbow swamp vibes. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it is for anyone who likes their environmental allegories freaky and fluorescent. | © Paramount Pictures

First Reformed (2018)

First Reformed is what happens when you take a Paul Schrader script, hand it to Ethan Hawke, and then light a slow, quiet fuse of ecological despair. Hawke plays a tormented pastor struggling with faith, grief, and the planet’s impending doom, all while keeping his church running like a one-man existential dread factory. Amanda Seyfried co-stars as a young woman whose radicalized husband sparks a moral spiral that turns into one of the most unexpected – and haunting – final acts in recent film. It’s a slow burn, but oh, it burns. Think of it as the eco-crisis as filtered through a Calvinist fever dream. | © A24

Okja (2017)

Oh, Okja. Only Bong Joon-ho could make you cry over a giant genetically-engineered pig while skewering the meat industry, late-stage capitalism, and Instagram vegans in one film. This wild ride follows a young girl named Mija and her best friend – who just happens to be a 6-ton “super pig” – as they fight to escape the clutches of a twisted agri-corp. Tilda Swinton pulls double duty as a deranged CEO, while Jake Gyllenhaal chews the scenery (and possibly a few morals) as a manic TV zoologist. It's part sci-fi, part action movie, and part vegan-friendly gut punch. Warning: do not watch while eating bacon. | © Netflix

Interstellar (2014)

In Interstellar, Earth is basically ghosting humanity – crops are failing, dust storms are raging, and Matthew McConaughey is getting teary-eyed while explaining relativity. Directed by Christopher Nolan (because of course), this space epic is part environmental warning, part intergalactic therapy session. When things get too bad on Earth, our only hope lies in wormholes, black holes, and Anne Hathaway whispering about the power of love across spacetime. The film’s opening scenes of a dying, dusty planet hit harder in a post-climate-crisis world, even with all the fifth-dimensional plot gymnastics. It’s like your brain took an AP Physics class while crying. | © Paramount Pictures / Warner Bros.

Snowpiercer (2013)

Welcome aboard the apocalypse train! Snowpiercer is what you get when the world freezes over due to a failed climate experiment and humanity’s survivors live on a perpetually moving supertrain divided by class – and chaos. Directed by the one and only Bong Joon-ho, the film stars Chris Evans in a role that’s 50% brooding, 50% revolution. Alongside him is the ever-bizarre Tilda Swinton, who turns bureaucracy into performance art. This isn’t just a sci-fi thriller – it’s a full-on metaphor train for climate inequality, resource hoarding, and yes, eating bugs. Equal parts bonkers and brilliant, it proves that even in the future, the rich ride first class. | © CJ Entertainment

Rio (2011)

If Happy Feet and The Jungle Book had a samba baby, it would be Rio. This vibrant, musical joyride follows Blu, a domesticated macaw voiced by Jesse Eisenberg, who’s whisked away to Brazil to help save his endangered species – and maybe pick up some rhythm along the way. Anne Hathaway joins the fun as his spirited counterpart, Jewel, and together they flap through colorful chaos, shady bird smugglers, and Carnaval madness. While it’s wrapped in feathers and funky beats, Rio doesn’t shy away from touching on deforestation and wildlife trafficking. It’s a kid-friendly, toe-tapping way to remind us not to mess with Mother Nature’s guest list. | © Blue Sky Studios

Avatar (2009)

James Cameron’s Avatar is basically FernGully in 3D with a billion-dollar budget and Sigourney Weaver in a lab coat. Set on the lush alien world of Pandora, this eco-epic follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a disabled Marine who goes full blue and joins the Na’vi to stop humans from plundering the planet’s resources. With Zoe Saldaña playing the fierce Neytiri and Stephen Lang as the unhinged colonel, the film delivers tree-hugging, bow-shooting, corporate-smashing spectacle at its finest. It’s not subtle – but neither is bulldozing a sacred forest. Bonus: it made everyone feel guilty about not recycling and wish they had a flying dragon buddy. | © 20th Century Fox

WALL-E (2008)

Who knew a rusty little trash compactor could break your heart while saving the world? WALL-E is Pixar’s most quietly profound film, set in a future where humans have trashed Earth so badly, they’ve bailed to space and left robots behind to clean up the mess. WALL-E, our adorable trash-bot hero, stumbles upon love in the form of sleek, no-nonsense EVE and unwittingly sparks a revolution. No big deal. Featuring minimal dialogue but maximum emotion, the film sneaks in sharp commentary about consumerism, pollution, and our tendency to let convenience kill the planet. Also, let’s be honest – we still don’t deserve WALL-E. | © Pixar Animation Studios

Children of Men (2006)

Bleak, brilliant, and weirdly prophetic, Children of Men throws us into a near-future world where humanity has become infertile, society has collapsed, and hope is basically an endangered species. Clive Owen plays the reluctant hero, stumbling through a Britain gone full dystopia, tasked with protecting the first pregnant woman in 18 years. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón with that trademark long-take intensity (you know the one), the film might not scream “environment” on the surface – but oh, it’s there. Climate refugees, environmental degradation, and societal breakdown are baked into every grimy frame. Also, shoutout to Michael Caine in full hippie mode, dropping wisdom while growing weed. | © Universal Pictures

The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Ah yes, the disaster movie that made climate change cool (and terrifying) for mid-2000s audiences. In The Day After Tomorrow, Dennis Quaid is a paleoclimatologist (don’t worry, we Googled it too) trying to warn the world about an imminent climate catastrophe. But does anyone listen? Of course not – until massive tidal waves, killer hailstorms, and a frozen-over Statue of Liberty say otherwise. Jake Gyllenhaal co-stars as the angsty teen son, literally trying to warm up to Emmy Rossum in a frozen New York Public Library. It’s ridiculous, dramatic, and absolutely iconic in its own “I told you so” way. | © 20th Century Fox

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Before environmental storytelling was trendy, Hayao Miyazaki was the trendsetter. Princess Mononoke is a breathtaking anime epic where gods take the form of giant animals, forests fight back, and the line between good and evil is beautifully blurry. Ashitaka, the cursed prince, finds himself in the middle of a brutal war between the human-run Iron Town and the forest spirits defending their sacred land. With San (a.k.a. the knife-wielding “Princess” raised by wolves) at the center of it all, this is a film that feels as wild as the world it’s protecting. No celebrity voices here – but the story is so rich, you won’t miss them. | © Studio Ghibli

Cropped Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Let’s take a bow for the OG eco-warrior princess: Nausicaä. Long before Katniss Everdeen or Moana, there was Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, where post-apocalyptic landscapes, toxic jungles, and giant mutant bugs coexist in strangely beautiful harmony. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki (again – because he's that guy), this film follows Nausicaä, a compassionate leader who believes in coexistence rather than conquest. She's not fighting nature – she’s trying to understand it, which is refreshing in a world that usually opts for flamethrowers. Bonus trivia: this was the film that helped launch Studio Ghibli. A humble origin story for a legendary studio. | © Topcraft / Studio Ghibli

The Lorax (1972)

Decades before the internet turned him into a meme or the 2012 version gave him the voice of Danny DeVito, The Lorax was already speaking for the trees in the original 1972 animated TV special. Adapted from Dr. Seuss’s iconic book, this groovy little film doesn’t sugarcoat its message: cut down the Truffula trees, and you doom the land. The Once-ler’s unchecked industrialism hits differently now, doesn’t it? While the animation is charmingly dated, the warning still feels urgent – and the Lorax’s fuzzy mustache is timeless. The 2012 film may have brought in big names like Zac Efron and Taylor Swift, but this OG version had soul and sass before it was cool. | © DePatie–Freleng Enterprises