Movies Similar to River of Exploding Durians

Biology!(1990)

A small town shortly before the end of the GDR: 15-year-old Ulla lives with her mother in a dilapidated old building where not even the electricity works properly. Economy of scarcity and national bankruptcy are visible everywhere. Only higher party comrades live in the lap of luxury. When Ulla meets Winfried after a summer bathing trip, the two fall in love. Winfried is the son of an influential general director and owns things from West Germany that others only dream of: a computer, a games console, a walkman. On an excursion with her biology class, the high school student discovers that a dacha is being built in the middle of the nature reserve and the creek has been dammed. Winfried's father turns out to be the culprit, but the mayor is on his side. Ulla rebels against this environmental destruction connected to political corruption and organizes a protest. Her activism not only endangers her own future, but also her first great love.

You Can't Take an Island with You(1980)

A young girl is trying to save an island which is endangered by nearby construction.

Naughty(2023)

Twenty-year-old Elya is a student and a future ecologist. One day, Matvey, the head of a construction company, comes to her university to talk about a development plan on the site of an old forest park. Elya does not hesitate to smash his project to smithereens. Matvey is intrigued by the girl's self-confidence and uses his usual methods of influence - he simply tries to "buy" her. But Elya doesn't need a sponsor. Then Matvey, surprised by her impregnability, offers Elya a bet: seven romantic days according to his rules. If after that the girl still decides to leave, he will refuse to build a skyscraper in the forest park. She agrees when Matvey really suspends the design work. Elya sees herself as something like the heroine of the film Pretty Woman, but Matvey turns out to be not at all the person she imagined.

Crick in the Holler(2017)

Set in West Virginia during the 2014 Elk River chemical spill, a first-generation college student clashes with her family while investigating a bizarre issue with their water supply.

The Ballad of Jack and Rose(2005)

Jack Slavin is an environmentalist with a heart condition who lives with his daughter, Rose, on an isolated island. While Jack fights against developers who wish to build in the area, he also craves more contact with other people. When he invites his girlfriend, Kathleen, and her sons, Rodney and Thaddius, to move in, Rose is upset. The complicated family dynamics makes things difficult for everyone in the house.

First Reformed(2018)

A pastor of a small church in upstate New York starts to spiral out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.

The Day the Earth Stood Still(2008)

A representative of an alien race that went through drastic evolution to survive its own climate change, Klaatu comes to Earth to assess whether humanity can prevent the environmental damage they have inflicted on their own planet. When barred from speaking to the United Nations, he decides humankind shall be exterminated so the planet can survive.

Woman at War(2018)

Halla declares a one-woman-war on the local aluminium industry. She is prepared to risk everything to protect the pristine Icelandic Highlands she loves… Until an orphan unexpectedly enters her life.

Tarzan of Manisa(1994)

Ahmet Bedevi, also known as Tarzan of Manisa, was born in 1900 in Baghdad to become a soldier, fighting in the War of Independence and honored with a medal. He returned to a ruined and destroyed Manisa in 1923. Bedevi started working at the Municipality as a fireman and a gardener. He became the pioneer and symbol of planting activities. Because of the soft climate of the area, he first wore a vest and trousers and then he started wandering about in the town in his shorts. The people of Manisa saw his resemblance to Tarzan because of his clothes, and always cherished him with love. Tarzan of Manisa lived in the mount Spilylus, ignoring all his individual needs but working for a greener environment. He died on 31st May, 1963. However, he has never been forgotten by the locals; on the contrary, he was immortalized for the things he did for Manisa and people followed his example.

Glitch(2020)

Nabil's life changes as an engineering company invades his house, claiming to build the house of the future as a solution to the pollution/trash crisis, infusing weird technology into his old traditional house.

The East(2013)

An operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities irrevocably changed after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.

The Forest(2012)

More than a 150 people are killed in leopard or tiger attacks in India every year due to rampant poaching and encroachment on the wilderness. Such animals have no choice but to invade human habitats and become man-eaters. This story is inspired by one such attack. A couple vacationing in the Indian jungle are disturbed by the arrival of the wife's ex-lover, opening wounds that are best left unhealed; but their troubles have only begun. They are being hunted by a leopard that's turned man-eater and it will stop at nothing to satisfy its hunger.

Night Moves(2014)

The story about three radical environmentalists coming together to execute the most intense protest of their lives: the explosion of a hydroelectric dam.

Alpenglow(2022)

Autumn 1998: An act of eco-extremism results in tragedy and a once headstrong activist is pitted against a future for her son or a life with him.

Pete the Pond(2022)

Pete the Pond has spent the last 20 years trying to return Britain's aquatic wildlife to its former glory. Despite his best efforts, the abundance of creatures he remembers from his childhood are quickly disappearing. As he sets out to build yet another wildlife pond in a British garden, a letter from his local council threatens to destroy his life's work.

From Kurils with Love

On July 8, 2019, an unusual expedition set sail in the town of Petropavlovsk in Kamchatka. A group of filmmakers, adventurers, climbers, environmentalists and a software entrepreneur traveled along the islands of Onekotan, Ushishir, Simushir, Urup and Kunashir to explore the environmental impact on this remote area of the earth, attempt first ascents, and raise awareness for the protection of the islands.

Saving Warru(2019)

Warru, or black-footed rock-wallaby, is one of South Australia's most endangered mammals. In 2007, when numbers dropped below 200 in the APY Lands in the remote north-west of the State, the Warru Recovery Team was formed to help save the precious species from extinction. Bringing together contemporary science, practical on-ground threat management and traditional Anangu ecological knowledge, this unique decade-long program has celebrated the release of dozens of warru to the wild for the first time.

Eco-Terrorist: Battle for Our Planet(2019)

Eco-Terrorist: The Battle for Our Planet follows the most wanted environmentalist today, Captain Paul Watson. In this unique and groundbreaking film, Brown takes a deeper look into what really goes on behind the scenes in the deep waters of our world. More pranks, the glory of successful missions, and fiercer encounters with some of the most infamous and illegal marine hunters, while stopping at nothing to protect wildlife on a global scale. The film takes the audience right to the frontlines of the modern day environmental movement via those who started it.

Extra 3D(2013)

Before the Flood(2016)

A look at how climate change affects our environment and what society can do to prevent the demise of endangered species, ecosystems, and native communities across the planet.