What happens when a Hollywood heartthrob trades the red carpet for rising sea levels? Before the Flood (2016), directed by Fisher Stevens, answers with a globe-trotting wake-up call that’s as urgent today as it was nearly a decade ago. Leonardo DiCaprio, our ever-earnest guide, doesn’t just narrate he’s a witness, a student, and a megaphone for climate change’s brutal truths. The film’s power lies in its ability to make the abstract visceral, turning melting ice caps and deforestation into a gut-punch narrative that demands attention.

DiCaprio’s performance as himself less actor, more advocate is the film’s beating heart. He’s not preaching from an ivory tower; he’s in the trenches, from Greenland’s ice sheets to India’s coal plants, asking tough questions of scientists, activists, and world leaders. His sincerity disarms skepticism, though occasional moments of celebrity gloss (private jets, anyone?) risk undercutting the message. Still, his raw curiosity and visible anguish like when he’s dwarfed by a collapsing glacier make the stakes feel personal, not just planetary.

The cinematography, lensed by a team including Antonio Rossi, is where the film soars. Sweeping aerials of scorched rainforests and flooded coastlines are both gorgeous and gut-wrenching, a visual paradox that mirrors the crisis itself. These images don’t just inform; they haunt, making the data-driven segments hit harder. The score, with contributions from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, pulses with a brooding intensity, amplifying the urgency without overwhelming the dialogue. Yet, the film falters in pacing at times, lingering too long on talking heads when the visuals could carry more weight. A tighter edit could’ve sharpened its edge.

Why does this matter in 2025? As climate disasters dominate headlines and Gen Z demands action, Before the Flood resonates as both a time capsule and a rallying cry. It’s not perfect it leans heavily on DiCaprio’s star power, and some solutions feel dated but it captures a moment when the world could no longer ignore the crisis. For today’s viewers, hooked on fast-paced docuseries and TikTok activism, it’s a reminder that change starts with seeing the problem clearly. Watch it, and you’ll feel the planet’s pulse racing. You might even check your own.