Fake views: the problem with Netflix documentaries

Netflix gets a lot of stick for being woke these days – and not just from this parish. And when you look at the network’s recent signings, it’s not hard to see why. From hiring Michelle Obama to present kids’ shows to splashing out on the Sussexes, Netflix executives don’t exactly hide their worldview.

But for all the gripes levied against the media empire, there is one section of its content that gets off rather lightly. And that’s a bit of a shame. As not only do Netflix’s current affairs documentaries come with a strong agenda, they’re also terrible examples of factual filmmaking. And the latter is the really unforgivable part.

If you’re not familiar with Netflix’s documentary output, here’s a quick rundown of some recent hits. There’s Knocking Down the House (an audiovisual victory lap of AOC’s election campaign); The Great Hack (Brexit bad; Facebook culpable); a celebration of lefty economist Thomas Picketty (Capital in the Twenty-First Century); Nobody Speak (aka Chomsky for dummies); and The Social Dilemma (or how social media ruined the world).