Mangrove forests have long been negatively portrayed, with descriptions dating back to the 19th century referring to them as sources of “source of putrid exhalations indicative of death to come”. Even today, conservation organisations sometimes use terms like “unpretty”, "ugly", "smelly", or "unproductive" in social media posts, often to provoke engagement, despite the impact such language can have on public perception, which is crucial for conservation efforts.
To investigate this, we analysed how mangroves are depicted in films and animated features for over a decade, categorising their portrayal into three types:

ENCHANTING: highlighting mangroves’ beauty, ecological and cultural significance, and their ecosystem functions, goods and services.
DOOMED: focusing on disservices or misperceptions that suggest harm or danger to humans.
IRRELEVANT: where mangroves appear merely as background scenery without significance in the respective scenes.

Our findings reveal that most films depict mangroves as either doomed or irrelevant. We examine specific examples to understand the reasons behind these portrayals and propose strategies to turn the tide of mangrove public perceptions in movies towards recognising the true value of mangrove ecosystems.