JustWatchWhat is Ocean with David Attenborough About?
Ocean with David Attenborough is a nature documentary, featuring one of Britain’s most beloved broadcasters. It explores the importance of the vast and varied waters that make up the world’s oceans, and looks at the dangers that threaten them.
Our Honest Review of Ocean with David Attenborough
The best thing about this documentary is that it’s surprisingly optimistic. The planet’s oceans are under serious threat from climate change, over-fishing, and a whole bunch of other issues, and this movie doesn’t shy away from that. It can be stark and brutal, but it isn’t wallowing in misery.
Instead, this cautiously hopeful film gives us a glimpse of renewal. Ocean with David Attenborough is beautifully shot and features some stunning underwater visuals, but we’re also given stories of recovery and survival. You might feel angry when you see polluted waters and dying coral reefs, but there’s still time to save them and with luck, this film will serve as a rallying cry.
What Do the Critics Think of Ocean with David Attenborough?
The documentary received largely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. At the time of writing, it holds a rare 100% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
- “It’s hard to imagine watching the credits roll and not being deeply affected by Ocean for a long time. It’s as beautiful at times as it is stark in others, and yes, there is the promise of hope that all is not a lost cause.” – Adam Miller, metro.co.uk
- “A gorgeously-shot film that celebrates the unique beauty and diversity that comes from dipping our heads beneath the surface of the water — while also addressing the state of the world’s seas.” – Vicky Jessop, London Evening Standard.
- “This cracking campaigning documentary makes a galvanising case for action – and without lobbing its audience overboard with an anchor weight of hopelessness yoked to their heels.” – Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph
What Awards and Nominations did Ocean with David Attenborough Receive?
Ocean with David Attenborough has received several nominations from film institutes and wildlife organisations, including:
- Best Cinematography by the Wildscreen Panda Awards, for Doug Anderson and Toby Strong.
- Best Music by the Wildscreen Panda Awards, for Steven Price.
- Best Producer/Director by the Wildscreen Panda Awards, for Toby Nowlan.
- Best Feature by the Jackson Wild Media Awards.
- Best Cinematography by the Jackson Wild Media Awards.
Cast & Crew of Ocean with David Attenborough
Jennifer Grey will be recognisable to fans of eighties cinema for two iconic roles; playing Matthew Broderick’s jealous but loyal sister in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), and as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman in Dirty Dancing (1987).
Fun Facts About Ocean with David Attenborough
- The film was released to mark presenter David Attenborough’s 99th birthday.
- It took the team over two years to collect all the footage. Filming locations included Indonesia, Antarctica, Hawaii, and Liberia.
- The school of yellowfin tuna featured in the movie is the largest ever caught on film.
- The crew discovered a previously unknown pink sea fan reef off the UK coast during filming.
Themes of Ocean with David Attenborough
The main focus of the film is on the richness and variety of ocean life. It doesn’t go into much detail about the individual species it covers, but gives a broad overview and shows how the ocean is one enormous ecosystem. For example, it doesn’t provide a tremendous amount of information about sea lions, but does include details about their lives and behaviour.
It also tackles environmental themes. Subjects like climate change are presented as a serious threat to the natural world, and Attenborough discusses them with great interest. There spectacular are sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests, and the open ocean and the film details the vital importance of a healthy ocean.
How Does Ocean with David Attenborough Compare to Toby Nolan, Colin Butfield, and Keith Scholey’s Other Work?
The three directors who worked on the film have all collaborated on nature projects before, and Ocean compares positively with their previous work. It contains stunning underwater cinematography showing sea animals in their natural environment and is visually enthralling. If you’ve seen their earlier films such as Our Planet, you’ll recognise the style and themes immediately.
It can also be compared to the previous work on the narrator, David Attenborough. His career has spanned decades and especially in Britain, he is considered to be the voice of the natural world. Attenborough’s narration is quietly powerful and he treats Ocean with the same dignified reverence that he has throughout his career.
Iconic Scenes from A Real Pain
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- The film was produced to encourage greater investment into marine conservation areas, such as Papahanumokuakea, a Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
- David Attenborough is widely associated with natural history and this film is partly a celebration of his career. What is less well known however, is that he had a small, but crucial part in shaping the world of comedy: he commissioned the first series of Monty Python’s Flying Circus in 1969.
- Director Colin Butfield has expressed how the film was intended to work as a three-part story; the first explaining how our knowledge of the ocean has developed in the last century, the second covering how mankind is threatening it, and the third exploring how we can help it to recover.
- One of the hardest sequences to film involved bottom trawling, a fishing process where nets are dragged along the sea floor. It had never been done before and presented several logistical problems. Luckily, the crew were able to find a team of scientists working on bottom trawling experiments and who allowed them to attach cameras to the nets.
What’s the Soundtrack Like for Ocean with David Attenborough?
The soundtrack for the film was composed by Steven Price, whose credits include the Sandra Bullock/George Clooney action film Gravity (2013), the adventure movie The Aeronauts (2019), and the horror film Last Night In Soho (2021). Here, he treats us to several atmospheric instrumental pieces that evoke the quiet splendour of the underwater world. It’s very relaxing and makes a perfect backdrop to reading or studying.
However, it is best appreciated as part of the film itself. This music is meant to accompany images of light reflecting off the scales of darting fish, or dolphins twisting through the surf. Price’s skill goes a long way to changing the mood of the film and he leaves a lasting impression. The music is enjoyable on its own, but we liked it best when it played alongside a massive humpback whale breaching the surface of the water.
Best Quotes from Ocean with David Attenborough
- “After a lifetime of filming the natural world, I now understand, the most important place on Earth is not on land.” – David Attenborough, on the importance of the oceans.
- “It is life at its most mesmerising, and we must open our eyes right now, to what is happening below the waves.” – David Attenborough, emphasising the dangers to the natural world.
- “If we save the sea, we save our world.” – David Attenborough.
What People Are Asking About Ocean with David Attenborough
The film is available for streaming on Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand. You can also purchase digital copies on Apple TV and Prime Video, or if you prefer physical media it can be bought on Blu Ray.
We would say yes, but approach with caution. It is an excellent resource for teaching them about nature, but includes scenes of animals hunting and suffering. Smaller children may find it upsetting, so we’d recommend that parents watch it first just to be sure.
The film has already been released and can be watched now. The release date was May 8th 2025 in Australia.
Some of our younger readers may be surprised by this, but yes, it’s all genuine nature footage filmed in the wild. There isn’t any CGI at all.
No, he was present for all the scenes filmed in the UK, but did not travel to the other locations.
