The Propaganda Game
A probing documentary dismantles the competing propaganda narratives surrounding North Korea by placing official voices beside dissenting international perspectives.
Overview
A deep dive into the world's most secretive regime and the propaganda that shapes its narrative.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- serious
- analytical
- skeptical
- political discussion
- documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the documentary as a compelling and well-researched examination of how information about North Korea is constructed and manipulated.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film contrasts North Korean official messaging with South Korean citizens, diplomats, advocates, and propaganda experts.
North Korea’s restricted information environment and militarized border are central subjects of investigation.
Interviews with Alejandro Cao de Benós and North Korean locals are set against perspectives from South Koreans and international specialists.
Archive footage of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un, and other political figures supports the film’s analysis of mediated power.
Films like The Propaganda Game, and why
Under the Sun
investigative documentary approach to North Korea, propaganda, and restricted information
The Act of Killing
critical examination of authoritarian spectacle, state messaging, and mediated political reality
The Look of Silence
political documentary focused on propaganda, power, and contested public narratives
Citizenfour
journalistic inquiry into state power, ideology, and competing accounts of political reality
Movie Details
- Director
- Álvaro Longoria
- Release Date
- 2015-10-03
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (154)
Cast
- Kim Jong-un
- Kim Jong-il
- Kim Il-sung
- Barack Obama
- Harry S. Truman
- Alejandro Cao de Benós
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Film Movement Plus, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Propaganda Game about?
- A probing documentary dismantles the competing propaganda narratives surrounding North Korea by placing official voices beside dissenting international perspectives.
- What is The Propaganda Game like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Propaganda Game as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Propaganda Game violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Propaganda Game.
- What did critics think of The Propaganda Game?
- Critics broadly praised the documentary as a compelling and well-researched examination of how information about North Korea is constructed and manipulated.
- Which films are like The Propaganda Game?
- Films with a similar feel include Under the Sun, The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence, and Citizenfour.
- How long is The Propaganda Game?
- The Propaganda Game runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Propaganda Game?
- In United States, The Propaganda Game streams on Film Movement Plus, Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel.
