HyperNormalisation

Unbelievably silly film, I cannot believe anyone takes Curtis seriously. I've tried to watch this twice but have been so irritated and astonished by the incredibly dubious statements that pile up within minutes that both times I've had to give up. This shallow drivel is as conspiracy-addled and daft as anything from Q-Anon. Perhaps I'm missing something, maybe Curtis is playing some kind of post-modern Spinal Tap style joke on the audience by making his films an egregious example of the very thing he purports to critique? I'd prefer to believe that than think that he - let alone anyone else - actually believes his fairy-tales.

I mentioned Bitter Lake (2015) last week, and if you're in any way familiar with Adam Curtis's style, you'll know what sort of thing you're in for. Whereas Bitter Lake concentrated on the historical relationship between Saudi Arabia and the U.S, HyperNormalisation touches on this in an epic sweep of how we got into the position we are in today, where cultural and historical issues, along with the emergence of heightened technology, and increasingly altered reality all clash to leave those of us with half a brain scratching our heads somewhat. The irony of the documentary is that to watch it, you have to use a screen. The enormous proportion of humanity who live their lives almost entirely in an unreality of social media with phones glued to their faces, frequently scrolling monotonously through pictures of themselves, or reading mind-numbing dysfunctional and perfunctory lists of bloggers or 'influencers' is no secret. This is not to say all of this is pointless however. Well written, important, innovative and well researched pieces are available everywhere. The problem is the idea that people don't want to think or learn, if it's complicated, people look the other way. This sort of oversimplification to the point of dead behind the eyes monotony, as Curtis stipulates, is similar to the political and cultural climate of today, where inexplicable world events have lead to politicians and their representatives have retreated into a damaging, massively pruned version of what is happening. No-one in power appears to be know what's going on, but on the dangerous flip side, more and more people just retreat into their alternate realities of social media, taking pictures of themselves to upload to people they don't know, in an endless quest for self gratification, falling further and further away from the truth of reality. The problem is if they're called down for dinner, that's them being forced to enter their version of an alternate reality, when they may have to interact with real people. Trump's race for presidency, modelled somewhat on Vladislav Surkov approach to promoting Putin in Russia of confusing everyone by supporting every group, left and right, is one of the many fascinating touchstones for Curtis in explaining the hypernormalisation of current reality. If something is slightly confusing, the power of screens and social media combined with the staggering self absorption and the almost anti-self actualisation of individuals today, make it far easier to return to screens, wanting approval from others, through 'likes' and 'comments' to justify their continuing existence in a reality that doesn't physically exist. This is preferable to these people rather than trying to think about what's actually happening, making it easier and easier for those in power to continue to deflect truth and explanation elsewhere. Individualism and self actualisation, as Curtis explains, is not what it once was. Hypernormalisation is fantastic, and it's available on iplayer.

Intelligently plotted and artistically presented, this one is for the thinking (vs merely consuming).

Really interesting alternative look at how we got to where we are today.

A great mystery x-files-ish thriller about the modern world politics and the fragile balance of the world. A must see.

It should be played every year at Christmas and broadcast to every home. A dense, eye-opening, rich and complex piece of art that presents itself clearly. I would recommend it to everyone. It covers a lot of ground but not for one second is it unfocused and every beautiful thread weaves together with some of the most artistic and unique and harrowing images I've ever seen. It's still present, its editing is phenomenal and it's probably one of the most important, relevant and modern things I've ever seen. I'm aware of the irony of posting this review on Facebook. I think a part of Hypernormalisation is that it is the mirror it speaks of and it is holding itself up against us. Which is hard to bear, but vital and rare.

Superb. Educational. Should be required viewing before anyone offers their political opinions, as many have chosen to be willfully ignorant of the reality that this film exposes.