Researchers Aim to Increase Climate Change Representation in Hollywood Films

A new study conducted by researchers at Maine’s Colby College and Good Energy in Los Angeles has revealed that the majority of Hollywood blockbusters are failing to address the current climate crisis in their storytelling. The study, which surveyed 250 movies from 2013 to 2022, found that fewer than 10% of the films passed the “climate reality check” proposed by the authors.

The test looked to see if a movie presented a story in which climate change exists and whether a character acknowledges it. Surprisingly, movies that at first glance appeared to have little overlap with climate or the environment passed the test. For example, the 2019 drama Marriage Story and the 2022 whodunnit Glass Onion were among the films that passed.

However, popular movies like Justice League and Don’t Look Up, which explicitly address climate change, also passed the test. On the other hand, films like San Andreas and The Meg, which deal with natural disasters, did not pass.

The authors of the study hope that the climate reality check will serve as a way for audience members, writers, and filmmakers to evaluate the representation of climate change on screen. They see it as a kind of Bechdel-Wallace test for climate change, similar to the test that evaluates gender representation in film.

Overall, the study highlights the disconnect between Hollywood’s portrayal of the world and the reality of climate change, urging filmmakers to incorporate this pressing issue into their storytelling.