---
title: "Becoming Cousteau"
year: 2021
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/becoming-cousteau"
fi1m_id: "becoming-cousteau"
imdb_id: "tt10334438"
tmdb_id: 774823
wikidata_id: "Q108470917"
fi1m_score: 74
critics_score: 75
critics_reviews: 15
published: "2026-10-03T01:58:33.885075+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T01:58:34.386639+00:00"
region: "PT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Becoming Cousteau (2021)

Directed by Liz Garbus · 1h 34m · IGAC M/12 · Documentary

## Identity

Becoming Cousteau

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/becoming-cousteau
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** becoming-cousteau
- **IMDb ID:** tt10334438
- **TMDB ID:** 774823
- **Wikidata ID:** Q108470917
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10334438/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/774823, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108470917

**Fi1m score: 74** · Critics 75 from 15 reviews

*In a sentence:* Ninety-four minutes with Jacques Cousteau is enough to make our sofa feel disappointingly far from the sea

> Liz Garbus makes a warm, absorbing introduction to Jacques Cousteau, with underwater archive footage that earns the admiration. The biography is less satisfying when it needs to question him.

## Synopsis

Jacques Cousteau appears in archive footage as an explorer trying to bring the ocean to an audience on land. Underwater films and journal entries trace his fascination with the sea, while Philippe Cousteau and Jean-Michel Cousteau also appear as themselves and Francine Cousteau is heard in archive audio. Liz Garbus brings this material together to follow the work behind a public life of exploration and filmmaking. The account follows an explorer and entertainer whose growing concern for the ocean begins to change the purpose of his work, with family voices contributing to the portrait.

## Review

Liz Garbus makes *Becoming Cousteau* an absorbing introduction, though anyone hoping for a searching biography should lower their expectations. Jacques Cousteau’s movement from exploration and entertainment towards environmental campaigning gives the film a clear story to follow. The underwater archive makes the appeal of that life easy to understand. This is a film for the curious, requiring little prior knowledge and supplying plenty to look at, but its admiration sometimes gets in the way of asking enough questions.

The underwater footage is the strongest reason to watch. The director lets those images establish why people would listen to her subject, and they make his attachment to the ocean understandable without requiring much explanation. We were moved by them because they make his concern for the sea feel like a response to somewhere he knows and loves. The pleasure of looking matters here. A documentary about environmental campaigning needs to show what is worth protecting, and this one gives us time to enjoy it before asking us to worry.

Editor Pax Wassermann has the difficult job of fitting exploration, filmmaking, campaigning and family into 94 minutes. The film remains easy to follow, and the archive gets enough attention to reward watching for the images alone. But the compression has a cost: subjects arrive with more promise than the film has time to fulfil. We wanted it to pause and ask a second question. The efficient pace sometimes makes an important complication feel dealt with before it has been properly considered, particularly when the account turns towards family.

The family material is where that limitation becomes most apparent. Philippe Cousteau and Jean-Michel Cousteau appear in the archive, while Francine Cousteau is heard in archive audio; these contributions widen the portrait without making its domestic side feel fully examined. The director acknowledges flaws and regrets, which saves the film from simple celebration. Yet the attention given to public achievements leaves us wanting a fuller sense of what life around this man involved, and how the people close to him understood his work.

The writing, credited to Mark Monroe and Pax Wassermann, is good at keeping the environmental concerns connected to its subject’s curiosity. It does not require us to arrive already invested in his reputation. Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans provide music that suits the film’s sympathetic tone, without being its principal source of feeling. The images do most of that work. That makes this approachable for anyone drawn to the sea who has little interest in a full account of a public career, and helps the campaigning material avoid feeling like homework.

Among biographical documentaries, this follows a familiar route and benefits from unusually inviting archive material. Jacques Cousteau’s films deserve attention in their own right, and we would have welcomed more examination of how he made them. There is enough here to encourage that interest, even if the documentary is too courteous to satisfy every question it raises about its subject. Watch it for the underwater films, then seek out a few more of them.

*Fi1m score 74, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics welcome Becoming Cousteau as an engaging, informative portrait, with praise concentrated on Garbus’s use of archival footage. The underwater images are a particular strength, conveying Cousteau’s attachment to the sea and the appeal of his filmmaking. His development from explorer and entertainer into environmental advocate gives the documentary its clearest emotional thread. The reviews generally find it an accessible introduction to his work, with several also valuing its attention to his flaws and regrets.

Reservations concern how far the film probes beneath its admiration. The Guardian wants closer scrutiny of Cousteau’s family life and influence, while The Playlist finds the treatment too respectful and insufficiently curious about his films. Vulture, by contrast, credits its willingness to acknowledge his shortcomings. The spread runs from enthusiasm to qualified approval rather than outright rejection: the archive earns broad praise, but the depth of the biography remains the dividing point.

## Straight answers

**Is Becoming Cousteau worth watching?**

*Becoming Cousteau* is worth watching for its underwater archive and approachable account of Jacques Cousteau’s life; we score it 74 out of 100. We recommend it to anyone curious about the sea or his environmental campaigning, though its warm admiration leaves the family material and harder biographical questions insufficiently examined.

**How long is Becoming Cousteau, and what is it rated?**

*Becoming Cousteau* runs 1h 34m and is rated M/12 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is a documentary film.

**Where can I watch Becoming Cousteau in Portugal?**

*Becoming Cousteau* is streaming on Disney+ in Portugal. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Becoming Cousteau, and is it suitable for children?**

*Becoming Cousteau* has a UK 12A certificate, so children under 12 need an accompanying adult at the cinema. The certificate alone does not tell us how violent or frightening particular passages are; we would not treat its ocean subject as a guarantee of suitability for younger children.

**How does Becoming Cousteau compare to Grizzly Man?**

*Becoming Cousteau* is the warmer, more approachable archive-led portrait, while we recommend [*Grizzly Man*](https://film.one/film/grizzly-man) for a tougher examination of its subject’s relationship with nature. Cousteau’s underwater films reward simple curiosity about the sea; Herzog’s funny, disturbing account offers more searching scrutiny, although we find that its narration sometimes presses the case too hard.

**What should I watch after Becoming Cousteau?**

After *Becoming Cousteau*, try [*Grizzly Man*](https://film.one/film/grizzly-man) (2005, Fi1m 85): Another archive-led portrait, much tougher on its subject’s relationship with nature. Then [*The Red Turtle*](https://film.one/film/the-red-turtle) (2016, Fi1m 84): For the attachment to the sea, explored through animation and little speech; and [*Fire of Love*](https://film.one/film/fire-of-love) (2022, Fi1m 76): Archive footage makes scientific curiosity, shared obsession and physical danger feel immediate.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (90/100, inferred): Gleiberman praises the documentary as an ardent, transporting portrait whose most moving force is Cousteau’s environmental awakening. He especially singles out its archival footage and the way it immerses viewers in Cousteau’s love of the ocean. [Read](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/becoming-cousteau-review-1235094426/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Frank Scheck (85/100, inferred): Scheck finds the documentary consistently engrossing and informative, offering a richly humanistic portrait of Cousteau. He praises its intimate use of archival footage and its reminder of Cousteau’s legacy in exploration and environmental activism. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/becoming-cousteau-telluride-2021-1235006013/)
- **The AV Club**, Noel Murray (B+): Murray finds the documentary fascinating and thoughtful, showing how Cousteau evolved from explorer and entertainer into an environmental advocate. He praises Garbus’s curation of archival footage and storytelling, especially the arresting underwater imagery. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/becoming-cousteau-is-a-deep-dive-into-the-french-icon-s-1847893539)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (82/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the documentary informative, admiring, and admirably willing to show Cousteau’s flaws and regrets. He especially praises Garbus’s use of archival footage to convey the beauty and originality of Cousteau’s filmmaking. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-becoming-cousteau-directed-by-liz-garbus.html)
- **Radio Times**, Caroline Frost (4/5): Frost gives the documentary a positive verdict, praising its archive-rich account of Cousteau’s life and influence. She singles out the singular experiences and accomplishments that shaped his environmental legacy. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-jhnya0/becoming-cousteau/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (78/100, inferred): Abele finds the documentary smart and moving, though not as deep a journey as some might hope. He praises how Garbus uses Cousteau’s archival footage to portray both his adventurous curiosity and evolving environmental convictions. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-10-21/becoming-cousteau-documentary-liz-garbus)
- **IndieWire**, Kristen Lopez (B-): The review finds the documentary an engaging, optimistic portrait, though it handles Cousteau’s life matter-of-factly and avoids deeper complexity. It praises the beautiful, eerie archival underwater cinematography and the way Cousteau’s films bring his connection to the sea to life. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/becoming-cousteau-review-1234659287/)
- **Screen Daily**, Allan Hunter (70/100, inferred): The review presents the documentary as engaging and clearly positive. It singles out how Cousteau’s story reflects the history of the environmental movement. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/becoming-cousteau-telluride-review/5162494.article)
- **The Guardian**, Phil Hoad (65/100, inferred): Hoad finds Cousteau’s life and career impressive, while arguing the documentary could have offered deeper insight into his family and environmental legacy. He praises the remarkable scope of Cousteau’s accomplishments but questions whether the film examines his influence critically enough. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/nov/10/becoming-cousteau-review-getting-in-deep-with-the-beanie-wearing-ocean-explorer)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page was inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint can be verified from the supplied text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/movies/becoming-cousteau-review.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Marina Ashioti (3/3/3): The review finds the documentary a nuanced portrait of Cousteau’s complicated legacy, though its approach is formulaic. It praises the intimate use of archival footage, family voices and journal entries. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/becoming-cousteau)
- **The Playlist**, Chris Barsanti (B): Barsanti finds the film beautiful and a solid introduction, but ultimately too respectful and thin in its treatment of Cousteau’s work. He praises the archival footage for its vivid, sensual images while faulting the film for not exploring Cousteau’s films in enough depth. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/becoming-cousteau-telluride-review-20210903/)
- **Deadline**, Todd McCarthy (75/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the documentary an invigorating introduction and a valuable reminder of Cousteau’s life and work. He praises its use of archival material to show how Cousteau became an environmental pioneer. [Read](https://deadline.com/2021/09/becoming-cousteau-movie-review-nat-geo-liz-garbus-1234827034/)
- **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (75/100, inferred): The review finds Cousteau’s life and environmental legacy compelling, though family tragedy and moral complications temper the adventure. It praises the stylish clothing and colourised underwater images for transporting viewers into a magical world. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/becoming-cousteau-2021-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)
- **The Wrap** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the respectful biography effective, though it tends to burnish Cousteau’s legend and neglects parts of his personal life. The archival footage and the continuing urgency of his environmental message stand out as its strengths. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/becoming-cousteau-film-review-jacques-liz-garbus-natgeo/)

## Details

- **Director:** Liz Garbus
- **Director:** Liz Garbus
- **Writer:** Mark Monroe, Pax Wassermann
- **Editor:** Pax Wassermann
- **Music:** Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans
- **Producer:** Mridu Chandra, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus
- **Cast:** Jacques Cousteau as Self (archive footage); Philippe Cousteau as Self (archive footage); Jean-Michel Cousteau as Self (archive footage); Francine Cousteau as Self (voice) (archive audio); Pierre-Yves Cousteau as Self (archive footage); Diane Cousteau as Self (archive footage); Albert Falco as Self (archive footage); Louis Malle as Self (archive footage)
- **Runtime:** 1h 34m
- **Certificate (IGAC):** M/12
- **Release (Portugal):** 21 October 2021
- **Genres:** Documentary
- **Box office:** $244,223
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8Ph5ntmWGI

## Where to watch in Portugal

- Disney+: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-10-03.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Silent World* (1956): Cousteau’s earlier underwater filmmaking, with attitudes towards wildlife that can unsettle.
- *Grizzly Man* (2005), Fi1m 85: Another archive-led portrait, much tougher on its subject’s relationship with nature. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/grizzly-man.md)
- *The Pearl Button* (2015): Water connects personal memory and national history in a more questioning documentary.
- *The Red Turtle* (2016), Fi1m 84: For the attachment to the sea, explored through animation and little speech. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-red-turtle.md)
- *Fire of Love* (2022), Fi1m 76: Archive footage makes scientific curiosity, shared obsession and physical danger feel immediate. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/fire-of-love.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/becoming-cousteau