For thousands of years, polar bears have migrated along the shores of Hudson Bay in northern Canada. Today, that ancient rhythm collides with a human world of tourism, surveillance and control.
Nuisance Bear returns to Churchill, Manitoba, the self-styled Polar Bear Capital of the World, and expands Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman’s award-winning short into a feature. It opens in US cinemas this Friday and in the UK on 13 November through MUBI.
It asks a simple question: who is the nuisance here?
Movie at a Glance
- US release: Limited release from Friday 6 November 2026 (MUBI)
- UK release: In cinemas from Friday 13 November 2026 (MUBI)
- Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden and Jack Weisman
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- Genre: Nature documentary
Viewer Match
- Best for: Nature lovers and fans of observational documentaries.
- Maybe skip if: You want narration and explanation.
- Mood and pace: Immersive, quiet and unsettling.
- Cinema or streaming? Cinema, for the landscapes.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free.
A Bear’s World
The film immerses viewers in the experience of a polar bear forced to navigate tourists, wildlife officers and hunters as climate change delays the freeze and pushes bears closer to people. There is almost no explanation, and none is needed.
The images are often breathtaking.
Unsettling
It is also uncomfortable viewing, as the camera turns on the humans watching the bears. When a predator is branded a nuisance, the film asks who really belongs in this landscape. Critics have been overwhelmingly positive.
It is a nature film with a sharp edge.
Where to See It
UK audiences can see it from next Friday. For another great documentary on a big screen, read our Everest: The Other Side Super Review. This week’s other films are in this week’s Weekly Cinema Pack, and tonight’s picks are in What to Watch Tonight.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
Nuisance Bear is a beautiful, immersive and quietly provocative documentary that turns the camera back on us.
- Performances: 7.5/10
- Direction: 8.5/10
- Screenplay: 7.5/10
- Score: 8/10
- Cinematography: 9/10
- Entertainment Value: 8/10
- Overall score: 8.5/10
Star rating: 4/5
Verdict badge: Worth Seeing
One-line verdict: A stunning, thought-provoking nature film.
Watch the Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer from MUBI.
Would you travel to Churchill to see polar bears? Tell us.