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Ice on Fire

Ice on Fire

New frontiers in stopping climate disruption

201988 minTV-PGMidcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Director
Leila Conners
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio

An eye-opening documentary that asks the question: Are we going to let climate change destroy civilization, or will we act on technologies that can reverse it? Featuring never-before-seen solutions on the many ways we can reduce carbon in the atmosphere thus paving the way for temperatures to go down, saving civilization.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Ice on Fire?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Ice on Fire streaming on HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Ice on Fire?

Ice on Fire earns 2 badges, led by Hopeful and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Ice on Fire worth watching?

Ice on Fire's Midcredits score is the 87th percentile of all films, from 3.1K ratings across 4 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

87th percentile

Better received than 87% of films

69th percentile among Documentary87th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

72 /100

86th percentile of all films

63rd percentile among Documentary85th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

69th percentile among Documentary85th percentile among 2010s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 71%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

56th percentile

3.1K ratings across platforms

81st percentile among Documentary59th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film presents basic climate science and a range of solution-oriented projects.

Fans praised

  • Clear, accessible explanation of climate science for laypeople
  • Hopeful focus on viable, real-world solutions
  • Stunning cinematography and visual artistry

Detractors panned

  • Hypocrisy of narrator's personal carbon footprint
  • Omits major causes like overpopulation and animal agriculture
  • Relies on simplistic tech optimism; lacks political/economic realism

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive85

Beautiful global landscapes and polished visuals

AtmosphereDivisive70

Urgent yet not alarmist, immersive global settings

Plot and storyDivisive68

Structured informative arc from problem to solutions

Emotional impactDivisive65

Sobering but hopeful; critics find it preachy

OriginalityDivisive55

Standard climate doc; offers solutions focus as differentiator

EndingDivisive55

Hopeful call to action; detractors see it as naive

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 15 points higher than US viewers.

Watch experience

What is Ice on Fire like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
HopefulContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats a grave subject with a sincere, urgent tone while also conveying hope through presented solutions.
The rideThe film balances alarming climate data with inspiring solutions, with the most pressing warnings about methane release coming mid-film.
StructureThe film visits multiple locations and experts in a series of segments, while also following a problem-solutions-hope arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the audience with a renewed sense of hope and a call to action, while lingering questions about systemic challenges remain.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a documentary presenting climate science and solutions, not a narrative following a plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfHopeIdeas
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1% (this title)

Ideas

Hope · 5% of filmsTechnology · 1% of filmsJustice · 13% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film argues that reversing climate change is possible through innovation and collective action, balancing urgency with optimism.
StanceThe documentary presents climate change as an urgent threat but argues that reversal is still possible through the solutions it showcases.

The world

ContemporaryRuralUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Jeremy Soule
SettingVarious global locations including farms, labs, and arctic regions
MusicSoule's score underscores the gravity of the climate crisis while supporting the film's hopeful tone.

Content guide

Is Ice on Fire okay for kids?

Ratings in 1 other country
  • RO18

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Ice on Fire have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Ice on Fire?

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio
as Narrator

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Ice on Fire?

Movies like Ice on Fire include The 11th Hour (2007), Home (2009) and Chasing Coral (2017). Of the 4 closest matches, most are films about hope, and most are films set in academia.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Ice on Fire?

Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.