Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called “coral bleaching”—a sign of mass coral death—has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea of the scale or implication of the catastrophe silently raging underwater.
Chasing Coral is a visually stunning documentary whose greatest asset is its extraordinary underwater cinematography — the time-lapse sequences capturing coral bleaching in real time are genuinely exceptional and justify a top mark. The plot follows a fairly conventional documentary structure (passionate experts pursue a difficult mission, face setbacks, achieve breakthrough footage) that works well enough but isn't particularly inventive. 'Acting' here reflects the on-screen presence of its subjects — the scientists and divers are earnest and emotionally compelling but unpolished, landing below average as performers. Novelty is moderate: the subject matter is urgent and the visual approach is distinctive, but the eco-documentary format is well-worn. The ending delivers an emotional gut-punch with the bleaching footage but closes on a somewhat standard call-to-action note, serviceable rather than remarkable.