Environmental documentaries are one area of entertainment I strive to watch. Anyone who is getting the message about how we treat our planet and how we can live a better life has already made something people should watch. Zac Efron’s new Netflix series Down to Earth is one of those shows and the journey he goes on is surprisingly insightful and emotional.
Down to Earth follows Zac Efron and his friend and superfood guru Darin Olien as they travel to various countries around the world in the search for a better way for humans to live their lives. The series which covers the environment, food, medicine and energy has eight episodes, each set in a different country with a lot of information and exploration packed in.
The journey for these new perspectives is a simple one and one that does get better after the first two episodes. Zac and Darin go to a new destination each episode from Iceland to the Amazon and many more. The importance is showing and detailing each place and how it operates in a way that can be both inspiring, educational and interesting to the viewer.
Zac’s star power will certainly bring a lot of people into watching the series which is important because the series could and hopefully will change a lot of opinions. Down to Earth is most likely more appealing to younger generations and the effect of an informative series like Down to Earth could be a lot if it becomes popular on Netflix.
The show is at it’s best when you can actually see and feel that Efron isn’t just there for the money or for the journey but actually feels like he is bettering himself. Down to Earth really lets Efron discuss his life and healthy living, sometimes only minimally, but it is great to see someone trying to use their influence to help create a better world.
Down to Earth is very informative about each location visited and sometimes informative about the world as a whole. Where the show is let down a little is being more crucial of the places that aren’t using green energy or aren’t campaigning for sustainable foods. A few times Efron would mention that California and the US isn’t the healthiest place to live but the series doesn’t use the information given to provide a comparison enough for it to have a lasting effect on people to really see what the difference is.
Putting that aside the series is a great advocate for healthy living both for yourself and for the planet. What has been made here is a much more accessible version of something that mainly people who are already interested in the topics would watch or even notice. Efron feels genuine and his adventure with Darin, who co-hosts with insightful details, comments and jokes, is one that hopefully we see more of.