Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

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Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

Released Sep 25, 2019

1h 27m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky travel the globe to document the impact humans have made on the planet.

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Critics Consensus

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch offers a sobering -- and visually ravishing - look at the horrific ecological damage wrought by modern human civilization.

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Phuong Le

Guardian

It purports to be a "cinematic meditation" on the havoc humans have wreaked on the environment, yet the style-over-substance approach reduces these eco-conscious contemplations to a mere exercise in aesthetics, without any social or political context.

Rated: 1/5

Sep 1, 2021

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Bilge Ebiri

Spirituality & Health

This powerful, poetic film shows the stunning beauty (and horrific impact) of humanity's creations as we leave the Holocene Epoch and enter the Anthropocene.

Mar 20, 2020

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Steve Davis

Austin Chronicle

The film's stunning visuals of these and other impacted places, particularly the aerial shots, capture an abstract imagery that is at once beautiful and horrifying.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 3, 2019

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Adele Campisi

Loud and Clear Reviews

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is an eye-opening Canadian documentary about the severity of humans’ impact on the Earth.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 5, 2025

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Cate Marquis

AWFJ.org

This is a fascinating, thoughtful documentary film, filled with stunning photography, that makes a powerful point of which we should all be aware.

Nov 30, 2021

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Betsy Bozdech

AWFJ.org

There is human-made beauty in "Anthropocene," but so much of it seems to come at such a staggering cost that it's hard not to look at it resentfully. That said, there is hope here, too...

Nov 30, 2021

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dave d

Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is a Canadian documentary film that explores the developing idea of a geological epoch called the Anthropocene, defined by the impact of humanity on natural development. It's beautiful and at times harrowing, but it meanders and drifts and frankly is boring. I learned more watching Ed Norton in the extra on the DVD than I did from the documentary itself. It's an important subject that needs to be presented in a crisper way than the filmmakers do here. There are plenty of gorgeous shots from all over the world, but I never felt like the narrative was tied together and the movie just wasn't all that cohesive. Final Score: 5.0/10

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

A sobering look at what we've done to this planet. It doesn't judge, it just presents the images of human impact on our planet to allow us to make our own judgements. This should be seen in every classroom in the world.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/20

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Audience Member

A visual feast of the terrifying projects humanity has undertaken to gorge itself on earth's natural resources. It is important to watch this movie simply to bear witness to what we are actually doing to the planet as a civilization. Industry and commerce are very good at hiding the means by which they produce all our amazing day to day products and building materials. This movie forces us to watch the devastation caused by our mindless consumption of goods. This movie should get awards on cinematography alone. Beautiful shots well composed with a very compelling score. Sound editing is also amazing. An artful masterpiece, despite the stark subject.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

Eye opening! Also, Great narration by Vikander.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

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Audience Member

Outstanding, stunning to look at but devastating to learn about human impact on the world and the damage we've done.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

It was very disappointing. It could have been so much more. When the film opened with 2 minutes of the fire from the burning ivory I knew I was in trouble. Some of the things that were shown did not seem to fit with the point that the movie was trying to convey. The Gotthard Tunnel for example. The film contained some stunning images but more examples and more narration would have been a good thing.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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Jennifer Baichwal

Director

Nicholas de Pencier

Director

Edward Burtynsky

Director

Alicia Vikander

Narrator

Jennifer Baichwal

Writer

Nicholas de Pencier

Producer

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Anthropocene: The Human Epoch: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky travel the globe to document the impact humans have made on the planet.

Director: Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, Edward Burtynsky
Producer: Nicholas de Pencier
Screenwriter: Jennifer Baichwal
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 25, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 22, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $104.8K
Runtime: 1h 27m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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