The Great Hack

Name: The Great Hack
Genre: Documentary
Released: July 24, 2019
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 67
Cast: Alexander Nix, Brittany Kaiser, Carole Cadwalladr, Christopher Wylie, Damian Collins

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 43 Ratings

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 43 Ratings

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The Great Hack

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Movie Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): July 24, 2019 | TV-MA

Starring: Alexander Nix, Brittany Kaiser, Carole Cadwalladr, Christopher Wylie, Damian Collins, David Carroll, Dorsey Carson, Emma Graham-Harrison, Gill Phillips, Ian Lucas, Jamie Bartlett, Julian Wheatland, Paul Hilder, Paul-Olivier Dehaye, Ravi Naik, Shoshana Zuboff, Steve Bannon

Summary: Data has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable asset. It’s being weaponized to wage cultural and political warfare. People everywhere are in a battle for control of our most intimate personal details. From award-winning filmmakers Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, The Great Hack uncovers the dark world of data exploitation with astoundingData has surpassed oil as the world’s most valuable asset. It’s being weaponized to wage cultural and political warfare. People everywhere are in a battle for control of our most intimate personal details. From award-winning filmmakers Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim, The Great Hack uncovers the dark world of data exploitation with astounding access to the personal journeys of key players on different sides of the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data scandal. [Netflix]… Expand

Director: Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

Runtime: 113 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Jul 23, 2019

Anyone who says voting is a waste of time needs to watch this film. Read full review

Tomris Laffly

Jul 23, 2019

While it lacks the emotional intensity of the duo’s Oscar-nominated The Square—a rousing 2013 look at Egypt’s Arab Spring—The Great Hack still feels of a piece, inviting viewers to contemplate the power and irreversibility of their online footprint. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Jan 8, 2020

Have we learned anything? Have the “Bond villains” at the heart of this story been discouraged from repeating their actions? Do we have any idea what can be done, and is anything at all BEING done? Read full review

Dan Fienberg

Jul 11, 2019

The Great Hack uses a decent rehash of the Cambridge Analytica scandal as the starting point for an interesting two-pronged character study, an instigation for provocative ideas about data crime and what is ultimately a really, really, really conflicted look at when it's terrifying having corporations learning things about our online habits and when it's cool. Read full review

Alissa Wilkinson

Jul 25, 2019

The Great Hack isn’t revealing much that hasn’t been reported elsewhere, but it’s powerful in the ways it does so. Read full review

The Playlist Chris Barsanti

Jul 23, 2019

It’s a sign of how quickly it feels like the world is being torn apart around us that even a ripped-from-the-headlines documentary, such as Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim’s The Great Hack, can feel almost dated. Read full review

Pat Brown

Jul 23, 2019

It seems so invested in a rehabilitation of Brittany Kaiser’s image that the filmmakers’ own motives end up being its most interesting subject. Read full review

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User Reviews

katezoe

Aug 1, 2019

Thrilling documentary about Cambridge Analytica (Steve Bannon worked for them), and their connection to the Trump campaign, Leave.EU campaign and other elections around the world. Scary how "persuade able" voters are targeted with fake news and their vote may be changed.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

mrc_brn

Jan 15, 2020

Fascinating watch, if perhaps a bit messy. Our voting behaviors are successfully being manipulated and demonstrably driving society’s polarization through:
1. Unauthorized data mining of information we share freely on social media. 2. Targeted messages on these social media platforms - whichFascinating watch, if perhaps a bit messy. Our voting behaviors are successfully being manipulated and demonstrably driving society’s polarization through:
1. Unauthorized data mining of information we share freely on social media. 2. Targeted messages on these social media platforms - which are at best callous with the truth - to drive us to vote a certain way.
It’s truly scary to realize to what extent, and how effective it’s been used.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Dubeau

Jul 26, 2019

I though this documentary was good until the middle of it. Then it kind of dragged a lot around the girl, while not leaving place to the real events. I was particularly interested in the Brexit aspect of it. But the film fails to explain the circumstance around the Brexit and at least oneI though this documentary was good until the middle of it. Then it kind of dragged a lot around the girl, while not leaving place to the real events. I was particularly interested in the Brexit aspect of it. But the film fails to explain the circumstance around the Brexit and at least one election that were served by Cambridge Analytica. I give it 60% because it was still making some valid points about social media data.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

SeussMyTub

Aug 23, 2019

A documentary about Cambridge Analytica and how they sort of manipulated consumer data to get Trump elected. Although its well meaning, its also very heavy handed and seems to imply that people were duped, and that CA used some sort of brainwashing techniques to win. This is of course notA documentary about Cambridge Analytica and how they sort of manipulated consumer data to get Trump elected. Although its well meaning, its also very heavy handed and seems to imply that people were duped, and that CA used some sort of brainwashing techniques to win. This is of course not true. While CA may have done some underhanded tactics, in the end it was the people who willingly voted for who they wanted, so it was simply a form of persuasion, which is kinda normal for ad companies.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

richardrad

Aug 9, 2019

An unsatisfactory treatment of an alarming threat to democracy everywhere. The threat posed by Facebook, and big data deserves much more than this treatment. The film raises important questions, but would have been a great deal better with a journalist narrator, who doesn’t take sides. TheAn unsatisfactory treatment of an alarming threat to democracy everywhere. The threat posed by Facebook, and big data deserves much more than this treatment. The film raises important questions, but would have been a great deal better with a journalist narrator, who doesn’t take sides. The production values, music and the characters who are portrayed are all annoying. The film is one-sided and a true disappointment.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

cannnU

Jul 24, 2019

They literally took the 750 word news article you’ve already read about Cambridge Analytica and dragged it out into the most painfully boring explanation ever. I felt like the recording had been slowed down and had to keep slapping myself to stay awake. Really poor effort, don’t waste your time.

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

Fanonymous

Sep 3, 2019

Another political hack movie in which the "journalist" reporting the story has made his own judgment about what happened and then tries to get everyone involved to agree with him. The CA story is about the fact that ad companies try to find out which products you like and get you to buyAnother political hack movie in which the "journalist" reporting the story has made his own judgment about what happened and then tries to get everyone involved to agree with him. The CA story is about the fact that ad companies try to find out which products you like and get you to buy them. Yep, that's what advertisers are paid for. And we are supposed to act surprised that Facebook sells user data. Well, the Phone Companies have been doing that decades before there was an internet. So direct marketers could call you up and annoy you. I find that much worse, personally.

What CA really did was find voters who might have not voted and persuaded them to vote because they were inclined to agree with their client's position. The producers are only upset that they got people to vote that the producers didn't agree with. Sour grapes. Getting apathetic voters out to vote is a good thing.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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