Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Never-before-seen footage shows how our living in lockdown opened the door for nature to bounce back and thrive. Across the seas, skies, and lands, Earth found its rhythm when we came to a stop.
The Year Earth Changed is a timely and visually striking documentary that captures the remarkable phenomenon of nature reclaiming space during COVID-19 lockdowns. Cinematography is a genuine standout, with stunning and rare footage of wildlife in unexpected urban and natural settings. The narrative structure is coherent and emotionally resonant, earning an above-average plot score. Acting is not applicable in the traditional sense — narrator David Attenborough delivers his characteristic warmth and gravitas, but the category is limited by the documentary format. Novelty sits at above average: while nature-bouncing-back themes aren't entirely new, the COVID-19 context provided genuinely unprecedented footage and a unique historical lens. The ending is satisfying but somewhat predictable in its hopeful messaging, landing it in above-average rather than exceptional territory.