9 Movies And Documentaries About Fake News and Propaganda

Separating Truth From Fiction

Check out 9 productions that address post-truth issues, disinformation, fake news, social manipulation, and, most importantly, learn how to protect your privacy.

We have created a list of 9 movies and documentaries about fake news, propaganda, and disinformation. Between productions based on real events and works of fiction, every item on this list addresses disinformation and post-truth in some way. In the endless flow of information and news, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fake.

And to seek more privacy on networks, many people look for tools such as more sensitive browsers, VPN software, and other mechanisms that improve the protection of personal information and data. Furthermore, some VPN providers even offer additional services. For example, NordVPN offers a solution called Threat Protection that blocks any malware, thus protecting you and your data. These features are more important than ever, as many websites writing about fake news are filled with malware and other viruses.

1. After the Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News

After the Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News is a 2020 documentary about conspiracy theories, false information, social engineering, and lies and the impact of these elements on people’s everyday lives. It is available on HBO streaming.

2. The Hater

The Polish production The Hater tells the story of protagonist Tomasz Giemza (Maciej Musiałowski), a rejected student who acts as an online troll, spreading fake news and virtual hatred against personalities, celebrities, and political figures. The movie is available on Netflix.

3. The Social Dilemma

Shown on Netflix, The Social Dilemma is a work that opened a new level of discussion about the impact of social networks not only on our personal lives and how we see reality but also on social, political, and economic events around the world.

4. Don’t Look Up

The fiction work Don’t Look Up is a great critique of disinformation and social alienation. The protagonists, Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) and Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) are two scientists who try to warn humanity about the imminent impact of an asteroid on planet Earth. The work is a great critique of the ineffectiveness of governments, the blind greed of billionaires, and the disinformation role of mass media channels.

5. The Century of the Self

Produced in 2002, The Century of the Self remains extremely current. The documentary shows how techniques, knowledge, and concepts of psychoanalysis are distorted and used by governments and corporations to induce behaviors in people, such as appealing to the subconscious and irrationality to stimulate consumerism and other conditioned actions in society.

6. The War You Don’t See

The British production The War You Don’t See, from 2010, addresses the lies reproduced by governments and press channels about various conflicts (such as the war in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine) to legitimize militaristic policies and invasions, shaping public opinion around them.

7. The Boys

One of the most impressive series is The Boys, with the first season starting in 2019. Despite being a work of fiction, The Boys addresses many concepts of fake news, social manipulation, narrative control, and the struggle to confront what is true and what are illusions around false heroes. The series is an excellent option and has a touch of sarcastic humor and brutal violence.

8. The Edge of Democracy

This list could not be without this Brazilian production. The Edge of Democracy is a 2019 documentary that chronicles Brazil’s main political and social events since 2014 and shows how the dissemination of disinformation is one of the main reasons for the rupture and destruction of democracy and its institutions.

9. The Truth of the Lie

Another Brazilian production, The Truth of the Lie, addresses the impact of the spread of disinformation and lies online and how false narratives shape society in harmful ways. In this flow of information, defining what is true and what is false in a post-truth society is an increasing challenge.