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A Plastic Ocean

A Plastic Ocean

We need a wave of change.

2016102 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Craig Leeson
Starring
Tanya Streeter

A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.

Where to watch

Where can I watch A Plastic Ocean?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists A Plastic Ocean to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about A Plastic Ocean?

A Plastic Ocean earns 4 badges, led by Top 5% of films and Universally Loved.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is A Plastic Ocean worth watching?

A Plastic Ocean's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 5.9K ratings across 4 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

94th percentile among Documentary97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)94th
Approval (how many liked it)97th

77 /100

94th percentile of all films

84th percentile among Documentary94th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

89% liked it

97th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Documentary98th percentile among 2010s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 0 noms overall

73rd percentile

5.9K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Documentary75th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3M

What reviewers say

Common ground

Plastic pollution in oceans is a serious problem that needs attention.

Fans praised

  • Eye-opening education on global plastic crisis
  • Heart-breaking facts backed by scientists and researchers
  • Compelling advocacy that motivates personal action

Detractors panned

  • More propaganda than science, heavy on scare tactics
  • Poorly contextualized data and manipulative editing
  • Focus on individuals detracts from core message

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive80

Distressing animal autopsies and shocking imagery

AtmosphereDivisive70

Beautiful underwater footage contrasts with littered coasts

CinematographyDivisive70

Striking underwater scenes and vivid coastal imagery

OriginalityDivisive65

Carves niche in environmental genre but uses cliches

Plot and storyDivisive60

Clear essay-like structure but meanders and drags

EndingDivisive55

Solutions section seen as preachy or false hope

Pacing45

Drags at times, needs better editing

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is A Plastic Ocean like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
ContemplativeHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its subject with grave seriousness and genuine concern for the planet, while maintaining an earnest, hopeful tone toward solutions.
The rideThe film balances alarming revelations with moments of beauty and hope, with the heaviest emotional weight in the middle when the extent of pollution is revealed.
StructureConventional documentary structure: problem introduced, evidence gathered, solutions presented.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers with a pressing environmental argument and a cautious sense that change is possible.
How it ends · evidence
Hopeful ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeDocumentary exploring plastic pollution; no narrative archetype applies.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfNatureIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% (this title) · Nature 2% (this title) · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Nature · 2% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines the devastating impact of plastic pollution on ocean ecosystems while urging action through scientific evidence and achievable solutions.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of plastic pollution while also presenting solutions, making it a call to action.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessIn transitRealistic
AmbientOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Miriam Cutler
SettingTwenty ocean locations worldwide, from pristine reefs to polluted coastlines.
MusicThe score supports the emotional arc, using ambient textures and orchestral swells to underscore both beauty and urgency.

Content guide

Is A Plastic Ocean okay for kids?

Not Rated

A Plastic Ocean is not rated. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (17/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at moderate (50/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • NetherlandsAL
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (11 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does A Plastic Ocean have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in A Plastic Ocean?

Cast

Tanya Streeter
as Self

Crew

More like this

What are movies like A Plastic Ocean?

Movies like A Plastic Ocean include Chasing Coral (2017), Samsara (2011) and Oceans (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films about hope, and half are films set in academia.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its story type: nature documentary. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with A Plastic Ocean?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: nature documentary. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.