★★★
The Cambridge Analytica scandal is examined through the roles of several affected persons.
Classification: 15
Netflix's latest documentary addresses probably one of the most important and relevant issues of the modern world: data protection. Using the Cambridge Analytica scandal, The Great Hack tells a story through multiple viewpoints of how every action we take online is collected, analysed and repurposed by large data firms to influence our decisions but not as consumers but as members of a democracy. With a powerful opening led by David Caroll utilising the visual motif of data being integral and ingrained to every facet of modern life, The Great Hack falters in part due to its massive scope and shifting narratives. While directors Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim do a fine job of assembling all the puzzle pieces to explain the arguments and boil down the details of Cambridge Analytica's actions in the U.S 2016 Presidential election, Brexit, and other political campaigns. The Great Hack wants to educate its audience and is definitely using the Channel 4 exposé about Cambridge Analytica to form the basis of the film but then uses their own interviews to provide greater context and expand upon our own knowledge on this complicated issue.
The access to both sides of the Cambridge Analytica scandal is addressed with interviews from employees, whistleblowers and uses footage from interviews, depositions and news reports featuring CEO Alexander Nix. Interviews from Brittany Kaiser and Julian Wheatland offer insight into the data firm and how their methods were used harmfully, the connections to Facebook and their own personal examinations into the fallout from the exposé. Kaiser is one of the most interesting figures of the documentary with her political allegiances shown as ever-shifting and how her associations with Cambridge Analytica and the subsequent political campaigns was for more practical notions rather than ideological. Amer and Noujaim don't seem to be trying to craft their own narrative of truth but showing how that truth is becoming corrupted by this unchecked power, how information is being manipulated at the technical level to influence. The Great Hack isn't trying to redeem Kaiser but try to strip away all the misdirection and try to understand the real motivation to this industry.
The motivation can clearly be seen as profit and power, as The Great Hack features numerous excerpts of footage featuring prominent political figures including Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and their associates. The filmmakers clearly showing how misinformation, fake news and misinformation is created for individuals based on their data profiles, how Cambridge Analytica would intentionally prey on fear, stoke tensions and manipulate to create support for far-right political candidates. Examples shown are Facebook ads and other campaigns focused around Hillary Clinton, making her seem corrupt by recontextualizing different clips to make a new narrative to make an unsure voter in America more distrusting of her. In watching the documentary, one could wonder what type of opposition this dangerous new frontier is facing and The Great Hack does provide two perspectives who recognise the serious dangers for what they are. Professor David Caroll who during the documentary was in the middle of legal challenges to receive his data back from Cambridge Analytica to learn how it was used, and Carole Cadwalladr a journalist who was crucial in exposing the activities of the data firm and Facebook.
Overall it is an interesting piece but it doesn't feel like a complete story. So much of The Great Hack is far-reaching and unresolved because these issues are still very much active in today's world. There really isn't a solution being presented in the film just a problem, its a good film in explaining that problem but there isn't much to pin your hopes on. Caroll does not receive his data at the time of the film's conclusions, governments are holding hearings on Cambridge Analytica and data collection but there doesn't seem to be any real progress as it's clear that right-wing politicians will impede and block and serious legislation against it while it still benefits their political goals. Besides going full off the grid and becoming a hermit, The Great Hack shows a bleak future where accountability, information and morality will all be discarded for the sake of profit and victory but apparently the best defence against disinformation is information so the filmmakers do their due diligence in laying out the arguments against Cambridge Analytica so we may be better prepared next time.
Director: #KarimAmer and #JehaneNoujaim
Release Date: July 24th 2019
Available exclusively on Netflix
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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