Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Peter Bradshaw

How to Live on Earth review – Benedict Cumberbatch exudes positivity in response to the climate crisis

Benedict Cumberbatch sits on a wide staircase at the Natural History Museum
Food for thought … Benedict Cumberbatch presents How to Live on Earth. Photograph: Conor McDonnell

There is value in a documentary about the environment and the climate crisis that does not simply indulge in hand-wringing, anger and despair. Fredi Devas’s film, presented by Benedict Cumberbatch in London’s Natural History Museum and composed of segments from different contributors, focuses on real, positive measures that individuals and communities can take – or begin to take – to make a difference. I’m agnostic about the sometimes touchy-feely tone of the film which can feel like a schools educational programme rather than something intended for adults, and occasionally also about the surging score which is there to tell us when to feel hopeful and when to feel euphoric. But there is food for thought here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.