Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Inventing Tomorrow

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Feel-good teen-scientist docu ideal for STEM-focused kids.

Movie NR 2018 87 minutes
Inventing Tomorrow Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

INVENTING TOMORROW chronicles the path of teens from Indonesia, India, Mexico, and the United States as they prepare to present rigorously researched science projects that offer solutions to environmental crises. Their proving ground is the 2017 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), where they'll compete against more of the best and brightest from around the world. Concerned with the toxic byproducts of tin mining killing sea life and contaminating water, Nuha and Intan from Bangka, Indonesia, create filters for dredges. Hilo, Hawaii, resident Jared -- inspired by his grandparents' survival of tsunamis -- investigates the spread of arsenic in his community's soil. Monterrey, Mexico, trio Jesus, Jose, and Fernando develop a photocatalytic paint that can absorb some of their city's air pollution in the same manner that trees would. And in Bangalore, India, 16-year-old Sahithi creates an app to helps citizens test contamination levels in water. All of the teen scientists converge (along with 1,800 other finalists from nearly 80 countries) in Los Angeles, where they meet like-minded young scientists, present their projects, and compete in the ISEF.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This documentary about a very diverse group of teen environmental scientists and innovators from around the globe is inspiring and powerful. All of the featured competitors are incredibly community-minded and hard-working. Some are comfortably middle class, and some are incredibly impoverished and have to work long hours after school to help support their families. They're more concerned with what will help their local environment than what looks good on college applications. And they've all spent more than 600 hours working on their science projects. Director Laura Nix follows the Spellbound formula of getting us interested in various prestigious fair contests, but what makes Inventing Tomorrow so interesting is that it's not some David vs. Goliath tale of whether the underdog will win. Even the kids who don't earn one of the top prizes at the Olympics of high school science fairs are still winners, because they've created something important and impressive.

Although Nix tries to invest viewers equally in all four stories, audiences will naturally feel more sympathetic toward one or two of the young scientists. All other things being equal, the three friends from Mexico are particular standouts because they have to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Their families, while loving and supportive, live humbly, without any extra income for even the $300 one of them needs to enroll in university. The boys work as waiters to save money and help their families. They admit to being the first in their families to attend college and talk about the responsibility they feel to support their families. It would be so easy to look at these three working-class brown boys and make classist, racist assumptions, but Nix reminds viewers that there are brilliant, capable, deserving kids in every corner of the world, representing every racial, ethnic, and religious minority group. Perhaps, despite all of the public denials of climate change and environmental science, the next generation will make sure to solve the myriad problems they've been saddled with.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the teens in Inventing Tomorrow exhibit curiosity, perseverance, and teamwork. Why are these important character strengths? How are they role models?

  • Half of the movie is backstory, and half is about the process of competing in the ISEF. Which part is more compelling to you? Why?

  • What are some other documentaries or fictional tales about students who exceed expectations and overcome obstacles? What are your favorites?

  • Does the movie make you curious about environmental problems in your own community and country and how they can be addressed? Research the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for more examples of award-winning projects.

  • For families (or teachers) interested in diving deeper into the topics the movie addresses, consider these lesson plans and full curriculum.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate