On top of the plethora of documentaries that have already been made on the subject of global warming, we can now add actor-turned-director Fisher Stevens' Before the Flood. As is so often the case, the film is built around an investigation into the effects that global warming has had on our planet and the (largely man-made) causes of this tremendously destructive happening. The crucial difference? Where the other films were stacked with nothing but experts, with a possible cameo from a celebrity who passionately believes in fighting against global warming, this one is centered on Leonardo DiCaprio, who gamely plays the part of guinea pig for a bunch of experts to explain what exactly is going on with Earth.

Our very own Adam Chitwood caught the film at Toronto International Film Festival and had mostly glowing words about Stevens' film. With the release of the first trailer for the documentary, which you can take a look at below, one gets a better sense of the film outside of the realm of a political passion project for arguably the biggest actor in the entire world. This doesn't feel like Brad Pitts' cameo in 12 Years a Slave, though. What can be seen from the trailer is fascination and concern, which are two key components to any decent non-fiction movie these days.

Before the Flood will debut in theaters on October 21st and will then play on National Geographic starting on October 30th.

Here's the trailer for Before the Flood:

Here's the official synopsis for Before the Flood:

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent catastrophic disruption of life on our planet. The film follows DiCaprio as he travels to five continents and the Arctic speaking to scientists, world leaders, activists and local residents to gain a deeper understanding of this complex issue and investigate concrete solutions to the most pressing environmental challenge of our time.

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Image via National Geographic
before-the-flood-leonardo-dicaprio-image
Image via National Geographic