10 of the Best… Documentaries for a Better World

The power of any great documentary might stem from its ability to enlighten and astonish, but also in its capacity to provoke anger as a means of inspiring change.

These documentaries are not mere propaganda, but instead offer insight – and workable solutions – into some of the biggest issues facing the planet right now, from climate change to mental health.

Each one argues that there is a better version of our current world – and that, with some effort and overhaul, there's a chance of actually getting there. Simply sitting down to watch any of these documentaries is, at the very least, a step in the right direction…

Food Inc. (2008)

Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video

Back in 2008, Robert Kenner's landmark documentary opened the world's eyes to the shady world of corporate farming. Twelve years later, its message – that the practice is environmentally and economically unsustainable – is still as relevant as ever. No matter where you stand on the subject, Food Inc. is a film that forces you to consider your own relationship with what you eat – namely because what's presented here is genuinely frightening.

Happy (2012)

Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video

What makes us truly happy? Wealth? Family? Work? This short, optimistic documentary from filmmaker Roko Belic sets out to find the answer to this elusive question, profiling 14 people from 14 countries, while linking their experiences to the relatively new scientific field of “positive psychology.” It doesn't provide answers, exactly, but it certainly inspires questions about the ways that we might increase our own happiness, and the happiness of others, too.

Revolution (2012)

Where to watch it: Amazon Prime Video

Rob Stewart's work on his own Sharkwater documentary inspired this follow-up, which sees him travelling to 15 countries on a mission to learn about the unique ecosystems that are essential to our species' survival. Any film that actively suggests ways that a normal person can help to shift the balance should be admired, and Stewart offers genuine, practical advice as to how we can minimise our own impact on the natural world – thus inspiring the “revolution” of the title. Eight years later, we're still a long way to go, but the ideas presented here are still as fresh as ever.

Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective (2015)

Where to watch it: Vimeo

The concept of “permaculture” won't be familiar to everyone, but in its most basic sense in constitutes living as lightly as possible with an emphasis on eco-friendliness and sustainability. If the ideas presented in this insightful documentary won't feel quite workable for everyone (we can't all pack and and move to the countryside), Inhabit still offers up simple ways to improve our relationship with the Earth – and each other.

Tomorrow (2015)

Where to watch it: Home video only

This hopeful, optimistic, and lovely documentary is directed by and features French actor Mélanie Laurent (you know her from Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds), who travels the globe, consorting with a number of practically-minded people who have devised simple and workable solutions to some of the biggest problems currently facing the planet. It never crosses the line into preachy and its vision of a utopian world is made to seem genuinely attainable.

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things (2015)

Where to watch it: Various streaming services

How much stuff do we actually need to be happy? Not only is having less better for our mental health, this documentary argues, but it's also beneficial to the world and society at large. Directed by Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn, who run the website “The Minimalists,” it also takes aim at our obsession with the digital world, and makes a compelling case for not necessarily cutting things out, but simply cutting down.

Before the Flood (2016)

Where to watch it: Various streaming services

Leonardo DiCaprio has dedicated much of his time and fortune to creating awareness around the issue of climate change. Fisher Stevens' insightful,  level-headed film charts the actor and philanthropist's efforts as a “United Nations Messenger of Peace” as he travels the globe in a bid for answers. He interviews experts and allies on the subject – including President Obama – and offers advice on how we can all come together to help the cause.

Chasing Coral (2017)

Where to watch it: Netflix

This visually arresting doc draws your attention to the depths of the world's oceans, offering a sobering reminder that global warming is having a massive effect on what's below the surface, too. Chasing Coral relies on the idea that it's impossible to turn a blind eye to climate change's effects when you're presented with actual footage of the damage. Jeff Orlowski's film offers a crucial portrait of those who've dedicated themselves to saving and promoting awareness of the ocean's coral (which is, believe it or not, essential to our survival), before offering up workable solutions to the cause.

Ice on Fire (2019)

Where to watch it: HBO Max (US Only)

No, not a Game of Thrones novel, but filmmaker Leila Conner's follow-up to her own The 11th Hour, which continues her mission to outline the effects of climate change. Whereas that film offered little in the way of solutions, pushing a feeling of doom and gloom, Ice on Fire offers up genuine answers as to how we, as a society, might combat the effects of global warming – this time with a far cheerier and hopeful disposition, plus some lovely drone shots.

2040 (2019)

Where to watch it: Various streaming services

It was musing on his own daughter's future – 2040 marks the year she will turn 25 – that inspired Australian filmmaker Damon Gameau to create this hopeful and well-meaning doc about the “regenerative” community projects that could help to stave off the effects of global warming. Interestingly, the easy-going and likeable Gameau isn't against eating meat (just reducing our intake), while his film offers practical solutions to an array of problems, along with ideas on solar power and the future of women's education. An artefact of pure goodness, made with genuine passion.