The Great Hack (2019)
Documentary
Stream itif you want a chilling, fast-paced exploration of how your digital footprints are being used against you.
An urgent and disconcerting deep-dive into the shadowy world of data mining that feels like a modern-day political thriller. It is essential viewing for anyone concerned about digital privacy and the invisible forces shaping public opinion.
What The Great Hack is like, and who it is for
What it is like to watch
Watching this feels less like a traditional documentary and more like a high-stakes corporate thriller. It moves at a breathless pace, using slick digital visualisations to illustrate the invisible flow of personal data. The atmosphere is consistently tense, framed by the personal anxieties of whistleblowers and academics who realise the sheer scale of the manipulation they are uncovering.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
This is essential for anyone who feels uneasy about their social media footprint or the current state of global politics. However, those looking for a purely objective, dry academic analysis may find its cinematic flourishes and dramatic framing a little too polished. One honest caveat is that the film focuses heavily on the emotional arcs of its central figures, which occasionally overshadows the technical specifics.
The right evening for it
It is perfect for a sobering evening that will likely leave you reaching for your privacy settings. It suits a night where you want to be challenged rather than comforted.
Written by our AI from the facts on this page. It has opinions; it has not watched it.
If you like this, try
The Social Dilemma (2020)
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A chilling and urgent wake-up call that frames the algorithms we use every day as an existential threat to society. It is designed to unsettle and provoke, using a mix of expert interviews and dramatizations to drive home its warning.
the same alarming look at how tech platforms manipulate human behaviour
Citizenfour (2014)
the same high-stakes tension surrounding digital surveillance and whistleblowers
Terms and Conditions May Apply (2013)
the same focus on the erosion of privacy through digital contracts
Suggested by our AI for what they share with this one. Linked titles have a page here; the rest are worth a search on the browse page.
What it is about
Data—arguably the world’s most valuable asset—is being weaponized to wage cultural and political wars. The dark world of data exploitation is uncovered through the unpredictable, personal journeys of players on different sides of the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data story.
Trailer
Stills
Images from TMDB.
Questions people ask
- Is The Great Hack a tense documentary?
- Yes. On Watchlist Boosted it is tagged Tense, with a authentic streak. An urgent and disconcerting deep-dive into the shadowy world of data mining that feels like a modern-day political thriller. It is essential viewing for anyone concerned about digital privacy and the invisible forces shaping public opinion.
- How long is The Great Hack?
- The Great Hack runs 114 min and was released in 2019.
- Is The Great Hack worth watching?
- Stream it: if you want a chilling, fast-paced exploration of how your digital footprints are being used against you. TMDB users rate it 6.9 out of 10 from 604 votes.
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