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We Are Guardians

We Are Guardians

202385 minMidcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Directors
Edivan Guajajara, Rob Grobman, Chelsea Greene

In this expansive character-driven exposé, Indigenous guardians of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil fight to protect their territories from the ravages of extractive industries, confronting deforestation by illegal loggers, corrupt politicians and profit hungry global corporations.

Where to watch

Where can I watch We Are Guardians?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists We Are Guardians streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about We Are Guardians?

We Are Guardians earns 3 badges, led by Divisive and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is We Are Guardians worth watching?

We Are Guardians' Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all films, from 593 ratings across 3 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of films

46th percentile among Documentary77th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)85th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

72 /100

85th percentile of all films

60th percentile among Documentary83rd percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

36th percentile among Documentary65th percentile among 2020s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 100%

The Rotten Tomatoes critic score.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

44th percentile

593 ratings across platforms

71st percentile among Documentary43rd percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 20% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$5K
Domestic gross$48K
Worldwide gross$48K

44th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • illuminates Amazon deforestation through human-scale stories
  • photography and soundscapes immerse in the rainforest reality
  • complex portrait balancing forest guardians and loggers

Detractors panned

  • biased political commentary whitewashes corrupt Brazilian government

What stands out

Characters80

indigenous guardians and loggers both humanized

Emotional impactDivisive80

inspirational, urgent, human struggle

Cinematography75

nice photography

AtmosphereDivisive75

immerses in Amazon context and stakes

Sound and music75

well-crafted soundscapes

Pacing70

efficient 80-minute structure

Plot and storyDivisive65

contrasts apocalypse with complexity in tight runtime

Watch experience

What is We Are Guardians like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseContemplativeHopeful
Heaviest: throughout
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 documentary presents its subject earnestly, balancing the gravity of deforestation with the resilience of the indigenous guardians.
The rideThe film maintains a steady pressure from the threat of deforestation and corruption, balanced with moments of quiet observation and hope.
StructureConventional documentary structure with exposition, escalating conflict, and a hopeful conclusion.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

The answer rests on this: Rousing · 10% of filmsHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film inspires action and leaves the viewer with hope for the fight against deforestation.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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 format; 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 filmsSelf
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% (this title): Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% (this title) · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% (this title) · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Community · 14% of filmsNature · 2% of filmsDisplacement · 1% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on indigenous community bonds under threat from deforestation and political corruption.
StanceThe film mourns the loss of the Amazon and the displacement of indigenous communities while exposing the forces that drive the destruction.

The world

ContemporaryWildernessRuralRealistic
Orchestral modernFolkSupportive music · original score · Roahn Hylton
SettingBrazilian Amazon rainforest and surrounding areas
MusicComposers include Brazilian musician Pupillo, likely incorporating local sounds.

Cast and crew

Who is in We Are Guardians?

Crew

Directed by

Edivan GuajajaraRob GrobmanChelsea Greene

Edited by

Carla RodaAtanas Georgiev

Music by

Jacob YoffeeRoahn HyltonPupillo

Produced by

Fisher Stevens, Jennifer Davisson, Flay Guajajara, Michael Grimm, Randy Gebhardt, Bruce Cohen
+15 more, Adriano Rocha, Iz Web, Christopher Gebhardt, Erisvan Bone Guajajara, Brigit Grimm, Heather Conforto Beatty, Maura Anderson, Trina Wyatt, Marco Krapels, Caitlin Lawrie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Phillip Watson, Luiza Krapels, Zak Kilberg, Christopher Gebhardt

More like this

What are movies like We Are Guardians?

Movies like We Are Guardians include Racing Extinction (2015), Honeyland (2019) and The 11th Hour (2007). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films about community, and most are films set in the wilderness.

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

11 of these 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 We Are Guardians?

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