The Great Hack
An urgent investigation into how social-media data became a tool for political influence and democratic manipulation.
Overview
A deep dive into the dark side of social media and its impact on democracy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- alarming
- paranoid
- urgent
- current affairs viewing
- political documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the documentary as an alarming and important warning about the weaponization of personal data for political gain, though its aggregate reception is positive rather than uniformly ecstatic.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Brittany Kaiser, David Carroll, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, Ravi Naik, Julian Wheatland, and Carole Cadwalladr provide complementary perspectives on Cambridge Analytica and data rights.
The film examines how harvested social-network data is used for political gain and behavioral influence.
The documentary probes hidden data practices, surveillance, and the difficulty of tracing responsibility through digital systems.
The film uses graphic design and animation to render social-network data, surveillance, and behavioral targeting visible.
Films like The Great Hack, and why
Citizenfour
investigative documentary exposing institutional wrongdoing and political manipulation through urgent journalism
The Social Dilemma
technology-focused documentary examining surveillance, data power, and democratic consequences
The War Room
political documentary connecting media influence, public opinion, and threats to democratic institutions
Movie Details
- Directors
- Karim Amer, Jehane Noujaim
- Release Date
- 2019-01-26
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (604)
Cast
- Brittany Kaiser
- David Carroll
- Paul-Olivier Dehaye
- Ravi Naik
- Julian Wheatland
- Carole Cadwalladr
- Christopher Wiley
- Paul Hilder
- Emma Graham-Harrison
- Gill Phillips
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Great Hack about?
- An urgent investigation into how social-media data became a tool for political influence and democratic manipulation.
- What is The Great Hack like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Great Hack as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Great Hack violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Great Hack.
- What did critics think of The Great Hack?
- Critics broadly regard the documentary as an alarming and important warning about the weaponization of personal data for political gain, though its aggregate reception is positive rather than uniformly ecstatic.
- Which films are like The Great Hack?
- Films with a similar feel include Citizenfour, The Social Dilemma, and The War Room.
- How long is The Great Hack?
- The Great Hack runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Great Hack?
- In United States, The Great Hack streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
