If you’ve ever sat down to watch a nature documentary for science class, chances are, you have heard David Attenborough‘s iconic voice narrating it. He is best known for his appearances on shows such as “Planet Earth“ or “The Blue Planet” but voices over numerous other documentaries. At the age of 93, however, Attenborough has released a movie that centers on his experiences with nature throughout his life and his feelings on how people have been treating it. The Netflix Original “David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet“ features Attenborough himself as he recalls his past and reveals his hopes for the future.

The documentary begins with Attenborough roaming around the infamous location of Chernobyl, the site of a nuclear disaster in 1986. He says many regard the accident as the most costly catastrophe in history, although the true catastrophe is in the midst of happening as we speak. Attenborough introduces the term “biodiversity,” explaining what it is and why it is so important to keep our world balanced.

Throughout the film, Attenborough switches from speaking of his own adventures in the wild as a young man to how much the earth has changed since then. Periodically, a blank screen with information appears, stating what year is being referenced, what the population was, how much carbon was in the atmosphere, and how much wilderness was left. The data really brings into perspective how little wilderness is actually left in the world compared to just a few decades ago — this information, paired with the heartbreaking scenes of the forests we continue to destroy, really made me realize how much we are taking the Earth for granted.

A lot of the facts Attenborough states during the majority of the film are a bit disheartening. He even goes as far as to describe how the world will essentially end if our current acts toward nature keep up. As the end of the documentary approaches, though, he begins to have a more hopeful tone, listing what people should start to do in order to prevent the current climate from getting any worse.

I have always been a fan of documentaries, and I remember hearing David Attenborough’s voice when I was young. Being able to watch a movie that focused solely on him for once was definitely interesting.

Although I am definitely biased due to my appreciation for Attenborough and documentaries in general, I would give this movie a solid nine or ten out of ten. It really shows viewers the harsh reality of the situation we are living in — it doesn’t sugarcoat anything at all. After seeing the drastic changes Earth has gone through first hand these past decades, Attenborough makes it clear in his film that change needs to happen now.

I recommend this documentary to anyone who wants to find out more about the environment and, of course, those who want to learn about David Attenborough and his upbringing. It’s especially a great watch for anyone who feels passionate about nature.