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Throughout the ages, artists have used their canvases to deliver powerful social messages and influence change.

So as stories about extreme weather and environmental catastrophe flood our daily newsfeeds, it’s no surprise that many filmmakers are grappling with the climate crisis — the single biggest planetary health threat facing us today.

From ravaged landscapes to terrifying dystopian societies, our media reveals our innermost fears and anxieties about the future of our world. Mental health professionals say that eco-anxiety, or the fear of environmental doom, is a natural response to a real threat — and movies, TV shows and books naturally reflect the moods of any given era. In fact, a growing number of young people worldwide are reporting increasing feelings of anxiety, anger, powerlessness, helplessness, guilt and dissatisfaction with government responses to the climate crisis.

But while humans may have been imagining the apocalypse for literally hundreds of years — they’ve also been dreaming of a cleaner, more beautiful, more just world. In that spirit, these nine films are reimagining the “cli-fi” genre with stories of hope and resilience — stories about communities coming together to avert catastrophe and stubborn individuals who go up against powerful forces to safeguard the future.

Fantasy

1. The Sea Beast (2022)

In a world where terrifying beasts roam the high seas and ravage coastal towns, monster hunters like the great Jacob Holland are celebrated as heroes. But when a curious young girl, Maisie Brumble, stows away on his fabled ship, they embark on a journey into uncharted waters and discover there may be more to these creatures than meets the eye. This heart-warming film (which is also part of Netflix’s sustainability stories collection) is ultimately about questioning the stories we’re told and standing up for what’s right despite seemingly impossible odds.

The Sea Beast. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

2. Ponyo (2008)

Many of Studio Ghibli’s films tackle environmental issues, and Ponyo is no different. The film opens by highlighting how human activity in a harbor town has polluted the water with mounds of garbage and murky black sludge. On the surface, this is a story about the friendship between a young boy (Sasuke) and a magical fish that transforms into a little girl (Ponyo). But it’s also a story about Sasuke’s unconditional love for a marine creature and the ocean she inhabits, and the lengths he is willing to go to prove his devotion and save her home.

3. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (2018)

Mowgli is an orphaned boy who was raised by a pack of wolves in the jungles of India and has always struggled with a sense of unbelonging. But as the human and animal worlds collide, Mowgli finds he alone is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge between these two forces. The film’s message rings clear: harmony and mutual respect between humans and nature is necessary for the survival and prosperity for all.

Romance

4. Falling Inn Love (2019)

Falling Inn Love stars eco-conscious designer, Gabriela, who wins a rustic New Zealand inn from a contest only to discover it’s run down from years of neglect. She teams up with local contractor and restoration expert Jake to restore the inn to its former glory while making eco-friendly upgrades. (And yes, plenty of flirting ensues!)

Falling Inn Love. Photo Courtesy of Netflix.

5. Weathering With You (2019)

Unlike most stories that illustrate catastrophe on a global scale, Weathering With You conveys the relatable everyday experience of living with the impacts of global warming. In a version of Tokyo, Japan, that experiences never-ending rain, a boy named Hodaka Morishima meets a girl named Hina Amano who can summon the sun — but at a great personal cost. The film demonstrates how an individual’s actions (and sacrifices) can make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things as long as you choose to prioritize the greater good.

6. Holiday in the Wild (2019)

Romantic comedy and wildlife conservation might be a peculiar combination for some, but Holiday in the Wild manages to make it sexy. After splitting up with her husband, Kate embarks on what was supposed to be a romantic vacation to Africa on her own. When Kate meets Derek, she’s whisked away into a world of elephant conservation where she finds renewed personal meaning — and gets a second chance at romance.

Adventure

7. Okja (2017)

Mija is a South Korean girl growing up on an idyllic mountainside with her grandfather and best friend: Okja, a giant “superpig.” When her beloved pet Okja is abruptly taken away from her, Mija embarks on a dangerous rescue mission that places her at the center of a sinister corporate conspiracy. The film raises thought-provoking ethical questions about animal farming, meat production and the impact of our dietary choices on the planet.

Okja. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

8. WALL-E (2008)

One of the most popular environmental films of the 2000s is none other than WALL-E, which stars a trash-compacting robot and a high-tech, egg-shaped robot named EVE. Against the backdrop of a polluted, uninhabitable Earth, the sentient pair of robots go to great lengths to save a living seedling and prove that the planet can — and should be — saved. While the film does show an apocalyptic scenario of Earth, the overarching message is that humanity can come together and heal the environment, no matter how far gone it may seem.

9. Tomorrowland (2015)

In Tomorrowland, Earth is almost certainly going to end in about two months. Although many feel resigned and refuse to do anything about it, the protagonist, Casey, refuses to give up. Her indomitable will and hope for the future reduce the probability of world catastrophe by a tiny percentage, but it is significant enough to make a difference. Overall, the story demonstrates that every individual can shape the future by remaining optimistic — and more importantly — actively doing something to shape it.

In this TED Talk, author and physics professor Vandana Singh reads from her latest work of speculative fiction and shares a hopeful vision for Earth’s renewal:

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carla M. Delgado is a freelance health and science journalist based in the Philippines.

This piece was adapted for TED-Ed from this Ideas article.

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You’ve heard of sci-fi, but what do you know about cli-fi?

As global leaders struggle to make firm commitments to reduce emissions and scientists discover ever more dangerous feedback loops and repercussions from climate change, writers are using the power of the pen to show us what the world might look like if we don’t act soon to combat climate change. Dubbed “cli-fi,” these books are as much about the human condition as they are about the state of the planet. In that way, they’re much like traditional literature in that they’re asking questions about how people adapt to and meet potentially devastating challenges.

Here are six great texts for readers to dip their toes into this important genre:

1. Dry by Jarrod Shusterman and Neal Shusterman

As droughts pummel the American West in real life, Dry feels even more timely. The Tap-Out has forced people to limit their water use for years, but when the taps actually run dry, Alyssa’s suburban neighborhood becomes its own kind of dystopia, where friends and neighbors turn on one another in a desperate attempt to survive. Things go from bad to worse when Alyssa finds that she has to care for not only herself but her younger brother as well… and their lives hang in the balance. (Ages 13-17)

2. Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

This book is frighteningly relevant: Sherri L. Smith imagines what the Gulf coast would look like after being battered by devastating storms and suffering from a subsequent disease called “The Fever.” The Gulf coast is quarantined by a wall that separates it from the Outer States. Amidst this chaos and cruelty, young Fen finds herself left with her tribe leader’s newborn. Desperate to give the baby a chance at a better life outside the Delta, she teams up with a scientist named Daniel, and together they fight their way toward survival. (Ages 14 and up)

3. American War by Omar El Akkad

A master of dystopian fiction that feels both real and surreal, Omar El Akkad creates a version of the United States in 2074 where states splinter in the wake of a terrible plague, and a Second Civil War breaks out. Sarat Chestnut, only six at the time the war begins, learns the hard way that powerful forces will seek to take advantage of the crisis. Sarat finds herself in a camp for displaced persons and discovers just how dangerous this new American can be. El Akkad is a journalist, who has reported from conflict zones the world over, which makes this novel feel less like imaginative fiction and more like its story has been ripped from global headlines. (Ages 16 and up)

4. Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller

Part dystopian fiction, part magical realism, part political thriller, and part sci-fi, this novel has it all. It’s set in a floating city in the Arctic Circle, which was created in the wake of the climate wars. Always a hard place to live in, the city is beginning to resemble the world we readers know too well: inequality is growing rampantly, and crime and political corruption are on the rise. Enter “the orcamancer,” a woman riding an orca, who seeks to draw together a band of resistors to fight back against the city’s degradation, but Miller raises questions about the destruction she’s willing to undertake. Miller aims for this narrative to argue for the rights of the marginalized, and he hits the mark, crafting a story that elicits empathy and compassion. Parts of the narrative are fairly violent, but it isn’t without hope. (Ages 16 and up)

5. Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson is a giant in the sci-fi/fantasy world, and this novel is his latest feat. Ezra Klein called this novel “the most important book [he’s] read” in 2020. This is a lengthy read, but it feels more contemporary than other cli-fi texts… but not in a comforting way! The world of this novel feels all too plausible: in the wake of government inaction, eco-terrorists desperately try to take out polluters by whatever means necessary. The book asks some weighty moral questions about what kinds of actions are justified in an increasingly unstable world and explores different pathways toward a more stable future: bureaucratic avenues are juxtaposed against radical, violent action, and everything from geo-engineering to terrorism seems to be on the table for one group or another. Readers will find themselves pondering the questions the book raises long after the final page. (Ages 17 and up)

6. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

As the first part of Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy, The Fifth Season considers how societies deal with disaster on an epic scale. The book combines both science fiction and fantasy, which makes for the perfect combination to address issues like seismology and volcanology, which can feel other worldly in their devastation. This one’s another lengthy read, but the corollaries to our world in terms of the racial and class politics the novel addresses make it feel hyper relevant. And the gorgeous world-building alone is worth the time investment. WNYC chose this novel as a SciFri Book Club pick in 2019, so there’s lots to think about in this fantasy novel for the science-minded reader. (Ages 17 and up)

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shannon Falkner teaches English Language Arts at Chatham High School in Chatham, NJ. She is a Teacher Consultant at the Drew Writing Project and Digital Literacies Collaborative at Drew University.  Shannon is a passionate advocate for “climate literacy” and has trained with The Climate Reality Project. In addition to teaching English, she volunteers as a climate educator and often writes about both education and climate.