Topics include education, politics, coral, hurricanes, and urgency. The film was made available freely on the internet between October 30 and November 6, 2016, the run up to US Election Day, having aired on the National Geographic Channel in 171countries and on some countries' national television channels. The film is subtitled in 45languages, making it accessible for non-English audiences. The film had been watched more than 2million times on the day following its release. It is currently available for streaming on Disney+. The film takes a closer look into the possibility of a carbon tax benefiting the American nation. In addition, they state that, "the carbon emissions from "Before the Flood" were offset through a voluntary carbon tax." The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 74% approval rating, based on 31 reviews with an average score of 6.97/10. On Metacritic, it has a score of 63 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews." "Before the Flood" was described as "surprisingly moving" in "W" and as "a heartfelt, decent, educational documentary about the most important issue of our time" by "The Guardian". "Variety" praised the fact that "given the sincerity of its message, its ability to assemble such a watchable and comprehensive account gives it an undeniable urgency," stating that "where the film succeeds the most is by focusing on the ground-level victims of climate change, whether the polar bears of the Arctic, or the inhabitants of island nations like Kiribati." The film's soundtrack was written and performed by Mogwai, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Gustavo Santaolalla.