Film
Vanishing of the Bees
A measured investigation into colony collapse disorder and industrial agriculture's impact on honeybees. Part detective story, part environmental reckoning, it traces the crisis across the US and beyond while avoiding doom-mongering. For anyone worried about where food comes from and what we've lost in pursuit of efficiency.
If you liked this
My Octopus Teacher2020
Another meditation on human connection with a non-human intelligence, shot with extraordinary intimacy. The relationship between filmmaker and creature offers real emotional depth alongside environmental observation.
But Slower paced and more introspective than the Bees doc. If you want investigative momentum over contemplation, this will feel indulgent.
The Biggest Little Farm2019
Documents a couple building a regenerative farm from scratch in California, working with ecosystems rather than against them. It's the optimistic flipside to *Vanishing*—solutions that actually work.
But Veers toward life-philosophy territory that some will find precious. Also takes a while to build; the payoff requires patience.
Seaspiracy2021
Applies the same documentary architecture—following a trail of culpability through industry, politics, and science. Exposes ocean fishing practices with relentless specificity.
But Feels more like an exposé than nuanced analysis. Some critics say it oversimplifies and conflates separate issues. Entertaining but polemical.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Vanishing of the Bees
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Rhubarb1951
Both interrogate humanity's relationship with something we think we own. *Rhubarb* asks who's really in control of a system—who serves whom. The bees ask the same question.
A cat inherits a baseball team in this absurdist comedy that shouldn't work but absolutely does. Completely changes register—funny, strange, wildly unexpected. The reminder that cinema can be playful about serious subjects.
But Has nothing to do with bees or agriculture. It's a left turn. If you want documentary about ecological crisis, this is the opposite direction.
More like this (3)
Dirt! The Movie2009
Released the same year as *Vanishing*, this examines soil health as the foundation of everything. Shares the crisis-with-hope template but zooms out further.
But Broad in scope to the point of diffusion. Trying to cover too much means some threads don't land as hard as they could.
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet2020
David Attenborough as witness to planetary decline and recovery possibilities. Scientific rigor with that unmistakable Attenborough gravitas. Frames ecological crisis as interconnected system.
But Sweeping statements about nature sometimes lack the specificity that makes *Vanishing of the Bees* compelling. Very high-level view misses granular impact.
Nomadland2021
Not an obvious choice, but captures rural America's economic collapse with the same observational care. Shows the human cost of industrial systems that *Vanishing of the Bees* examines from the ecological angle.
But Fiction, not documentary. Requires patience with abstraction and mood over explicit argument. Some find it emotionally withholding.
People
Cast
Elliot PageNarrator
Directing
- George LangworthyDirector
- Maryam HeneinDirector