Tackling heavy and often controversial topics is no easy feat; Hollywood has struggled many times with successfully depicting the climate crisis. The subject is often mishandled or downright ignored completely when it comes to fiction films, despite many well-executed documentaries proving it can be done. That’s why it’s so refreshing when filmmakers get the climate crisis right, with impressive results. The release of Adam McKay's Netflix hit Don't Look Up divided critics, showing that the subject can certainly be addressed.

Sometimes, it's addressed successfully and entertainingly. Whether it’s Dennis Quaid fighting against an impending ice age or an alien Keanu Reeves angry at the destruction humans cause, environmental disasters and catastrophes have been an effective go-to trope in Tinsel Town for a while now. With international scientists declaring that "the worst is yet to come," it's important to take a look at some of the best movies about climate change.

Updated on September 5th, 2023, by Timothy Lindsey: This article has been updated with additional content to keep the discussion fresh and relevant with even more information and new entries.

19 mother! (2017)

The title of Darren Aronofsky's 2017 psychological horror film mother! says it all, referring explicitly to 'Mother Earth.' Sure, the film's plot parallels the Bible, but mother! also serves as a deeper allegory to climate change. The story follows a man's (Ed Harris) and a woman's (Michelle Pfeiffer) invasion of their mother's (Jennifer Lawrence) and His (Javier Bardem) privacy and violation of their freedom. Their entrance to the latter's house leads to a chain of chaos, which ultimately ends in death and destruction.

The movie subtly hints at the disobedient and selfish nature of man and woman by showing how they're naturally inclined to lie and break rules. Additionally, the entrance of the man and woman's two sons, a Cain and Abel pairing, evokes more of the overall evilness of mankind. Lawrence even confirmed the climate change tie-in during an interview with The Telegraph, stating that the film "depicts the rape and torment of Mother Earth."

18 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

The first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs film shows fans a goofier, more comical perspective on climate change. When the middle-of-the-Atlantic-Ocean town known as Swallow Falls, which prides itself on sardines, hits hard times, scientist Flint Lockwood (Bill Hader) creates a machine that turns water into food. Cheeseburgers eventually start to fall from the sky. The food gets bigger and bigger as tornados and storms made up of spaghetti and meatballs wreak havoc on the town, as well as other cities.

Flint must find a way to shut his machine down before the food destroys his town and the world around him. The food going crazy in the film is simply a metaphor for weird weather anomalies that happen with climate change. A sequel called Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 was released in 2013.

17 Soylent Green (1973)

One of the earliest and most prominent films to tackle the terrifying realities of climate change was the 1973 ecological dystopian thriller Soylent Green, which takes place in an extremely overpopulated New York City in 2022 (sounds familiar). The classic film depicts the world as a nearly uninhabitable place due to the greenhouse effect; resources are almost non-existent, the oceans are dying, and food sources are scarce, resulting in a horrifying food solution that famously featured the final jaw-dropping line.

Charlton Heston starred (and Edward G. Robinson co-starred, in his final film) in the unnerving sci-fi and horror hybrid, which was based on author Harry Harrison's 1966 novel Make Room! Make Room! He stars as a determined detective who uncovers the nefarious deeds carried out by the food-making company.

16 2012 (2009)

2012 is one of John Cusack's best films. He stars as Jackson Curtis, a struggling science fiction writer and chauffeur for a Russian billionaire. While on a camping trip at Yellowstone National Park with his kids, he finds the lake dried up and fenced off.

After being apprehended by the U.S. Army and meeting a famous conspiracy theorist, he learns that the world is moving toward catastrophe. With close to 50 nations building safe arks in Tibet, Curtis must guide his family safely there before it is too late. It was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2009 and one of the most creative climate change films of the last 15 years.

15 Don't Look Up (2021)

Here's yet another scathing look at current-day politics and culture, brought to you by Adam McKay (The Big Short, Vice). Don't Look Up mocks how media is addressing the very real threat of looming disaster for planet Earth. Who better to cast as the film's lead than Leonardo DiCaprio, a real-life advocate of climate change awareness? He plays a science professor alongside Jennifer Lawrence as his younger student; the two are tasked with merely convincing the people in charge of the very obvious evidence that a fast-approaching comet means certain destruction.

The "disaster" centered in McKay's film is indeed a confirmed metaphor for climate change. Despite the film's mixed reviews and unnecessarily long runtime, it's still a hoot to watch the countless A-listers (Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, and Tyler Perry, to name only a few) in action as they fumble through life amid the apocalypse.

Related: Don't Look Up Review: An Important Failure

14 Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)

The beloved crew of Manny, Sid, and Diego set out to find a safe, new home in Ice Age: The Meltdown. The reason is that their former icy home is melting due to the rise of global warming. A flood is coming, and the friends must find a way to get to safety before it is too late.

On the way, Manny meets another mammoth named Ellie, who thinks she is a possum. Once thought to be extinct, could Manny and Ellie help bring back their species? This is the second installment of the Ice Age franchise, and it puts a great spin on climate change with some of the most beloved characters in animated cinema. This was the second highest-grossing animated movie of 2006 in North America and the 66th highest-grossing film of all time.

13 Snowpiercer (2014)

South Korean master Bong Joon-ho's post-apocalyptic sci-fi film Snowpiercer takes place aboard the titular train, which travels the globe with what’s left of humanity. After a botched attempt at climate engineering to combat global warming, a new Snowball Earth was created and destroyed most life.

Based on the French graphic novel Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Chris Evans stars as one of the lower-class passengers aboard the train who all ultimately rebel against the elite passengers. Snowpiercer’s environmental and sociopolitical message is prevalent throughout the entire film, painting a brutally devastating picture of what could happen to the beloved planet if global warming and massive inequality persist.

12 Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Set within a small community on an island in the Louisiana Bayou, Beasts of the Southern Wild tells the tale of six-year-old Hushpuppy as she combats her stubborn father’s failing health and the melting ice caps that flood her beloved home. The girl must find a way to fight back against the changing world around her; with nature rebelling, ice caps melting, and temperatures rising, prehistoric creatures called aurochs (a kind of metaphorical manifestation of climate change) begin to attack.

Beasts of the Southern Wild was met with both critical and commercial acclaim and was nominated for four Academy Awards. The emotionally moving journey of Hushpuppy touched audiences; for her portrayal, Quvenzhané Wallis became the youngest person to ever be nominated for Best Actress, at age 9.

11 San Andreas (2015)

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has one of the most accomplished acting portfolios of all time, which spans over the last 20 years. The film San Andreas has to be considered one of his most underrated films for sure.

Johnson stars as an LAFD Helicopter Rescue Pilot who, along with his ex-wife (Carla Gugino), must rescue their daughter in San Francisco after the San Andreas Fault Line triggers massive earthquakes along the West Coast. Paul Giamatti also stars as Caltech seismologist Dr. Lawrence Hayes, who discovers that the fault line is about to shift and trigger massive earthquakes. He quickly warns the public and tells them to prepare themselves. The movie was the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 2015.

10 Princess Mononoke (1997)

From the genius mind of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki comes Princess Mononoke, a brilliant animated film that follows a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka as he finds himself in the middle of a war between the gods of the forest and the mining colony Tatara.

Miyazaki is no stranger to tackling environmental issues, and this visually stunning and deeply poignant tale is no exception. With a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 93%, Princess Mononoke is a powerful declaration on the damage humankind does to its ecology, and what happens when the environment starts fighting back.

Related: Best Studio Ghibli Movies, Ranked

9 The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

The Roland Emmerich sci-fi disaster film The Day After Tomorrow depicts catastrophic climatic effects following a disruption of the North Atlantic Ocean circulation. Dennis Quaid stars as a paleoclimatologist making a daring voyage during the catastrophes from Washington, D.C. to New York City in search of his son, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. The father must battle against extreme weather conditions and the pending new ice age on his seemingly futile trek.

The film is based on the non-fiction book The Coming Global Superstorm by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber and was a box office smash. Despite mixed reviews from critics and its scientific inaccuracies, The Day After Tomorrow delivers an important message: human unsustainability is causing irreparable damage to the planet.

8 WALL-E (2008)

It is hard to find a better animated Disney film aimed at climate change than WALL-E. The 2008 Pixar classic portrays the last robot on Earth named WALL-E, who spends his days in the 29th century cleaning up Earth, which has become a garbage-filled wasteland.

The air is toxic and the planet's environment is neglected by human life. Earth's population has left the planet to go live on the Axiom, a space cruise ship. However, everyone has become obese and moves around in chairs all day. WALL-E, who has developed a personality, falls in love with a scanning robot named EVE. He follows her across space on the adventure of a lifetime. This is one of the most playful and positive films regarding climate change.

7 FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

The animated musical film FernGully: The Last Rainforest is set in a magical Australian rainforest and focuses on a group of fairies who openly embrace a mistakenly shrunken logger. Together, the fairies and animals of the rainforest band together to protect their home from greedy loggers and the wicked Hexxus, a pollution entity.

It's a rare climate film with children as its target audience, preaching the importance of protecting the environment and respecting the land. FernGully: The Last Rainforest also features an impressive voice cast including Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, and Cheech Marin.

6 The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

A loose adaptation of the 1951 film of the same name, 2008’s The Day the Earth Stood Still addresses the issue of mankind’s environmental damage to the planet. The film follows alien Klaatu (played by Keanu Reeves), who is sent to Earth to either change the behavior of humans or eradicate them.

The blockbuster flick includes a talented cast, with the aforementioned Reeves, Jennifer Connelly, John Cleese, and Kathy Bates. Despite a less-than-warm reception, The Day the Earth Stood Still was a box office hit and tackled the topic of climate change passionately, shedding light on the damage humans are doing and delivering an urgent warning.

5 Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

2014’s action-comedy Kingsman: The Secret Service is a more light-hearted approach to the heavy topic of climate change. It centers on Gary “Eggsy” Unwin’s recruitment and training into a secret spy organization. His first major mission is to locate global threat Richmond Valentine, a wealthy narcissist who wants to combat global warming by destroying most of humanity.

The highly-praised and commercially successful film features a talented cast including Taron Egerton as Unwin and a delightful Samuel L. Jackson as the villain Valentine. Director Matthew Vaughn did a fantastic job addressing a serious issue with humor, action, and glee.

Related: The Best Serial Killer Documentaries, Ranked

4 2040 (2019)

Damon Gameau directed and starred in the thought-provoking 2019 Australian documentary 2040, which chronicles the creator's journey around the globe as he searches for innovative solutions to combat climate change in the hopes of providing his four-year-old daughter with a more hopeful future.

Gameau interviewed numerous academics and notable ecological experts for the inspiring project and analyzed climate mitigation concepts like renewable energy, regenerative agricultural practices, and even seaweed ecosystems, while also detailing the current technological achievements that can play a pivotal role. 2040 was lauded by critics for its uplifting and refreshing message, with the Los Angeles Times writing, "The status quo is unsustainable, and Gameau illustrates that transformative change is not only necessary but possible."

3 An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

Former United States Vice President Al Gore wrote 2006’s An Inconvenient Truth to educate people about global warming, and director Davis Guggenheim follows Gore on the lecture circuit in this groundbreaking documentary. The film helped to raise awareness of the not-so-cold realities and dangers of global warming, re-energizing the environmental movement in the process. Gore presented all the vital information through speeches and PowerPoints which analyzed its causes, effects, and potential solutions.

An Inconvenient Truth premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival to critical and commercial success, winning the Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards (and at practically every other award) while also becoming one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time.

2 Avatar (2009)

From the creative mind of Hollywood heavyweight James Cameron, 2009’s Avatar was an international phenomenon that broke box office records and introduced revolutionary visual effects. The epic sci-fi drama tells the story of a paraplegic Marine who is sent to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, finding himself torn between his loyalty to his home and the new world he’s discovered.

Avatar is set in the mid-22nd century during a time when the Earth is dying, destroyed by global warming, overpopulation, and crumbling ozone.

The moon Pandora becomes humanity’s new target and the movie depicts the climate catastrophe it faces from invading human forces. The cinematography and plot are creative and thought-provoking, and Avatar even nabbed three Academy Awards; more than that, the film has grossed $3 billion to date, making it more profitable than most individual countries in the world. A sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, was released in theaters in 2022.

1 Interstellar (2014)

Prolific director Christopher Nolan is often praised for his metaphysical and epistemological subject matter, and his visionary and boundary-pushing films have grossed more than $5 billion worldwide. No stranger to innovative content, Nolan has become a master of the science fiction genre, with 2014’s Interstellar being one of his most impressive films. Set in a dystopian future where humanity is struggling to survive due to climatic, Dust Bowl-like conditions, the movie follows a group of astronauts in search of a new home for mankind, ultimately traveling through a wormhole to do so.

With an A-list cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine, Interstellar is a visual and auditory masterpiece that opened to rave reviews. Audiences also couldn’t get enough of the captivating and thrilling sci-fi juggernaut, and it remains one of Nolan’s best films.