6 great TV shows & films for nature lovers

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Looking for something to watch? Check out these environmental films and TV shows from 2022.

Our Great National Parks (Netflix)

Along with protecting more lands than any other president, add Emmy Award-Winner for Best Narrator to former president Barack Obama’s accomplishments. Over five episodes, this short series transports viewers to ten countries over five continents and features a few of the 4,000-some National Parks around the world. 

Obama’s narration guides us through the landscapes and wildlife of Gabon, Madagascar, Japan, Costa Rica, Australia, Rwanda, Chile, Kenya, and Indonesia, with shots of remote landscapes and rare species: a 1,000-year-old Japanese cedar tree, a one-ton leatherback turtle, and Super Tusker elephants among them. In the US, we’re taken through Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve in Hawaii (near where Obama grew up), Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

Beyond just showing us these magnificent natural places, Obama also explains how government-regulated lands can have beneficial relationships with nearby populations, and how more protected land means a better life for all of us. He concludes the show with a call to action: “Vote like the planet depends on it.”

To The End (available on Amazon Video February 6, 2023)

Directed by Rachel Lears and produced by Sabrina Schmidt Gordon, To The End highlights the efforts of four powerful women of color who have been champions of the Green New Deal: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. House Representative; Varshini Prakash, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement; Alexandra Rojas, executive director of the Justice Democrats; and Rhiana Gunn-Wright, climate policy director for the Roosevelt Institute. 

The Green New Deal aims to transition the U.S. economy to 100% renewable energy in 10 years, with jobs and justice at the center. Similar to Roosevelt’s New Deal, the GND isn’t a single bill, but a framework for future policies. The film debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and was filmed over four tumultuous and significant years for climate policy. The footage moves from California wildfires, to the halls of Congress, to protests in the streets, up until the end of 2021 with President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, which barely passed in the House, and would later fail in the Senate. The film conveys the roadblocks, compromises, and hopelessness that these women and other champions of climate action often experience, but also the joy of victory and change.

High Water (Netflix)

Based on true events, High Water tells the story of a Polish city underwater. The Central European Flood (or the Oder Flood) of 1997 sunk 40% of Wroclaw, Poland underwater after several months’ worth of rain fell within just a few days. The flood began in the Czech Republic and spread to Germany and Poland, and ultimately killed 114 people. Directed by Jan Holoubek and Bartłomiej Ignaciuk, this show is a fictionalized account of the decisions made by scientists and the government before, during, and after the disaster. In the midst of our current environmental crisis, High Water is eerily reminiscent of the recent floods and other natural disasters caused by climate change now, 25 years later. The show asks audiences to consider the increasing frequency of these disasters and how our handling of them alters cities and communities forever.

Polar Bear (Disney+)

Yes, it stars a polar bear, but this Disneynature film has none of the Snow-White-like animals of classic Disney tails. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Jeff Wilson and narrated by Catherine Keener, Polar Bear chronicles the lives of a mother polar bear and her two cubs in the Arctic, filming them through all of the seasons and challenges they face. Using memories of her own upbringing, the mother tries to teach her own cubs how to survive in a harsh, changing environment. The film highlights how climate change has impacted this landscape and threatened the livelihood of polar bears as ice flows shrink and seal populations diminish. “The Arctic could be ice-free by the summer of 2040,” the movie reminds viewers. “The actions we take today can positively change the future of polar bears”

How to Change Your Mind (Netflix)

Based on the 2018 book by Michael Pollan, this docuseries directed by Lucy Walker and Alison Ellwood turns the camera on psychedelic substances and their capacity to aid human health. Each of the four episodes focuses on the uses and history of one drug: LSD, psilocybin (a compound found in mushrooms), MDMA, and mescaline (a compound found in cacti). Guided by Michael Pollan himself, the show explores psychedelic therapy and the traditional and sacramental uses of these substances that have been employed for centuries. Interviews with practitioners and participants show the capacity of psychedelics to treat addiction, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as the strong governmental resistance that psychedelic therapy has faced.

Down to Earth with Zac Efron: Down Under Season 2 (Netflix) 

Zac Efron is our tour guide for a second season of Down to Earth. Season one featured Efron and co-host/wellness expert Darin Olein, who traveled to different countries to learn about healthy and sustainable living, and to “find some new perspectives on some very old problems.”

Season two looks a little different. After Efron found himself stuck in Australia as the pandemic lockdowns of March 2020 began closing borders, he now presents a season that focuses entirely on the Australian continent and the conservation efforts happening there. Each episode has a different focus, including habitat conservation, waste, the Torres Strait, wildfire, aboriginal voices, and eco-innovation. Across eight episodes, see the efforts of Australian organizations that are saving koalas and other wildlife from the devastating bushfires of 2020, participating in regenerative agriculture, restoring the Great Barrier Reef, breeding threatened Tasmanian devils, and the Aboriginal communities that are protecting lands. 

This article originally appeared on EcoWatch and was syndicated by MediaFeed.

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12 of the absolute worst movies on Netflix

12 of the worst movies on Netflix

When it comes to movies, I will watch almost anything that pops up on Netflix. I work in the film industry, I know how much work goes into producing a project, but I also know that sometimes you’re saddled with a flop, and no amount of hard work will fix that.

As a rule of thumb, I give most movies I watch the benefit of the doubt. Every film I watch starts at a ten, and I deduct points as I watch it. Bad acting? Weird casting choices? Terrible plotlines? Deduct, deduct, deduct.

This list of 12 of the worst movies on Netflix is by no means telling you that your favorite comfort movie is bad. If one of these movies happens to be your favorite, more power to you! We all have different reasons for why movies hit us in all the right spots. But these movies were just too bad or downright cringey to land on my own list.

wutwhanfoto / istockphoto

There’s been a new trend for Netflix (and other studios) to adapt fanfiction into major motion pictures in recent years. “After” is one of those projects. The film is based on a One Direction story published on Wattpad that is essentially a reader-proxy character who falls in love with Harry Styles, or Hardin Scott, as he was later renamed for publication purposes.

Now, this movie is not bad because it’s fanfiction. I am all about incredible authors getting their fanworks turned into major publishing deals and movies with their favorite actors in the roles. This movie is bad because it glorifies a really toxic relationship. Hardin is a terrible boyfriend; he’s angry, violent and verbally abusive when things don’t go his way.

kasinv / istockphoto

It should really come as no surprise that the follow-up to “After” is also on this list. If people were on the fence about whether “After” was toxic, “After We Collided” assured audiences that it was, in fact, a very toxic relationship. There’s nothing romantic or feel-good about watching an alcoholic boy verbally abusing the girl he claims to love.

There’s also a sub-plot where Tessa (the main protagonist) discovers that her mother is dating her ex-boyfriend, which is just all-around yikes-worthy. There are many incredible works of fanfiction that deserve their chance on the silver screen, and films like “After” and “After We Collided” are not it.

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“The Kissing Booth” movies are nowhere near as egregiously bad as the “After” series, but they’re still not exactly good either. These movies are yet another example of Wattpad-to-Netflix projects, and unfortunately, it features an unhealthy dose of toxic masculinity and a violent male love interest.

Despite being an unmitigated mess of a movie, audiences seemed to enjoy the overwrought cliches and cheesy teenage romance on display in the film. Even I’m willing to admit that it had a few okay moments, but the bad outweighs the good.

Three years later and I still have no idea why they over-sexualized Elle, why they chose to have Noah be so controlling, and why they absolutely failed to address sexual assault appropriately.

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Much like the sequel to “After,” the second “Kissing Booth” doesn’t exactly improve the glaring issues from the one that came before. Seriously, what parents would let their teenagers spend the summer alone in a beach house? I understand it’s a work of fiction, but what?

I had serious issues with the sub-plots to get Elle undressed in the first movie, and “Kissing Booth 2” carried on the tradition of coming up with the weirdest reasons for her to be barely dressed throughout the movie.

Unfortunately, Noah is just as manipulative and controlling as he was in the first film, and he lightly mocks Elle’s assault from the first film, and there are zero ramifications. Overall, “The Kissing Booth” movies are bad because they glorify all the wrong things for their target audiences.

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Netflix really did try to give us a shiny new action film to rally around this year, but in the end, the mindless action just created a fairly lackluster film. The film has a spectacular cast with Anthony Mackie in the lead, but he really deserved better than this film. 

Set in the near-future year 2036, drones and robot soldiers fight wars. The bad moments far outweigh the interesting and good parts of the film.

If you want to sacrifice your time to robot soldiers and action sequences, “Terminator” is right there. I’m sure “Outside the Wire” found its target audience, but it’s just not a great film if you aren’t that target audience.

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I am still disappointed by this film. Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, Mia Wasikowska? That sounds like a recipe for success, but ultimately it was a recipe for disaster. The plot is a mess, the characters are unlikable, and it’s two-and-a-half hours of your life you don’t want to sacrifice willingly.

There are many great storylines, but they’re often rushed, poorly paced, and at best incoherent to the other elements of the film. I really rooted for this film to be a hit, but it was a swing and a miss for everyone involved. One day, I hope Tom Holland finds his way into a non-Marvel film that is actually good and doesn’t involve the brutal death of a dog.

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Netflix has a really robust collection of foreign language films that are high on my must-watch list, but “Oh, Ramona!” isn’t one of them, unfortunately. This Romanian coming-of-age teen comedy could have been an entertaining movie, but if it weren’t for the glaringly awful victim-blaming, homophobia, fatphobia, and objectification of women that permeates the entire film.

I always try to be cognizant that I view things through an American-lense, but I was led to believe that the use of “r*tard” and homophobic rhetoric is largely frowned upon in most areas, especially if the film had plans to release across the world. Despite being directed by a woman, the film is wholly centered around the male gaze.

wutwhanfoto / istockphoto

I am a huge fan of the Mötley Crüe and a long-time fan of Douglas Booth’s work, so of course, I was quick to watch “The Dirt” when it landed on Netflix. I was left feeling that it was just “OK.” It’s not a terrible film, but it does fall into many of the same perils and pitfalls of other band biopics. Maybe we’ve seen enough of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll to last a lifetime.

The 80s aesthetics are great, but the excessive amounts of bad behavior on display doesn’t really offer anything to the plot. If you like the band, you might actually enjoy spending awhile with the film, but if you’re just in it to watch a fun biopic about musicians, go watch “Rocketman.”

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“The Cloverfield Paradox” feels like a film intended to be released in theaters, but someone realized it was too bad to attempt a theatrical run, so they quietly pitched it to Netflix. 

It’s been three years, and I’m still not entirely sure what I watched in 2018 and why anyone gave this mess the greenlight. Maybe part of the issue is because the script wasn’t originally part of the Cloverfield universe, and J.J. Abrams thought it could be adapted into the world.

The movie has an outstanding cast (Elizabeth Debicki, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and David Oyelowo), but even they can’t salvage an outstandingly bad film. There are plenty of better sci-fi films to devote your time to on Netflix.

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This film is essentially “if Paul Blart, Mall Cop were an international assassin.” Do with that comparison what you will. If you love anything Kevin James is in, then you’ll probably find yourself enraptured with the specific brand of comedy in this film, but I was left thoroughly unimpressed. 

The humor is weak, the politics are dodgy, and the overall execution of the film leaves an overtly cringey feeling as the credits roll.

If you just want something to have on in the background on a Saturday afternoon, you could do better, but “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” isn’t the worst film you could pick to watch.

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To follow up, the hit-and-miss Kevin James film here is a truly terrible film with David Spade at the forefront. Another funny-man who has struck out more than he’s hit home runs. In fact, Rotten Tomatoes critics gave it a resounding 0%, which is rough.

The handful of genuinely humorous moments in “Father of the Year” are not worth the abysmal humor throughout the film. This is one-and-a-half hours you can do better with. Literally any other comedy on Netflix is going to be better than this film.

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I am still not sure why, a year after the critical success of “A Quiet Place,” anyone decided to create a horror film where the central plot centered around a world under attack by creatures who hunt by sound. It’s essentially the same concept, just poorly handled. This isn’t very reassuring, considering “The Silence” features Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka.

Look, if you love horror films and you’re looking for a new one to watch on Netflix, you may end up a fan of “The Silence.” But overall, it’s painfully boring and offers no real meat for the charismatic cast to work with.

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As with anything, your taste in movies may not align with my taste in movies. In fact, I may have named your favorite film as one of the worst movies on Netflix. 

But I tried to approach each of the films on this list, hoping that I would be watching a terrific film. I work in the film industry. I know how much work goes into producing a project, but I also know that sometimes you’re saddled with a flop, and no amount of hard work will fix that.

Wondering which Netflix Original Series we found disappointing? Check out Your Money Geek’s list of Netflix Original Series flops.

This article
originally appeared on 
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