Anthony's Film Review - Untruth: The War for Democracy (2022)

Untruth, the follow-up to Unfit, presents a chilling look at disinformation infecting American politics...

For the past several years, the group called Duty to Warn, consisting mainly of mental health professionals, has continuously expressed concerns about the mental state of Donald Trump and the danger he poses. Their voices were first heard before the 2016 presidential election in the United States, and their work has continued over the years, which includes the 2020 documentary film Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump. Two years later, a follow-up documentary film was made. Untruth: The War on Democracy takes a look at what Trump has unleashed from his actions (I should say "antics") as the 45th U.S. President.

The first shot of the film is already chilling. It presents footage of President Trump delivering a fiery speech on January 6, 2021, about the 2020 presidential election being stolen. (For the record, it wasn't stolen. He simply lost, by eight million votes.) Anyone not living under a rock knows exactly where this would lead: insurrection at the United States Capitol. This part doesn't go on and on extensively, but it still sets the tone for this documentary. This is a film that absolutely needs to be serious and grim.

A major reason why Untruth is powerful is that the focus isn't on one person, Donald Trump. Rather, it's the ideology, Trumpism, that stems from that one person and has influenced masses of people. The film may only be about one hour and 20 minutes in running time, but it still manages to explore the topic in depth. It touches on things like cult mentality, social media, disinformation, Fox News, and conspiracy theories. Each segment is riveting and, at times, scary, and when you have one thing that segues into another, you can see how and why the fabric of American democracy, as well as society itself, is on the brink of destruction.

The film manages to convey lots of important information, and it does so in a simple straightforward way. Basically, there are two elements: interviews with experts and video footage. The individuals featured include historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, former U.S. intelligence analyst Malcolm Nance, conservative lawyer George Conway (husband of Kellyanne Conway), and former Republican congressman Joe Walsh, among others. The footage includes news clips, selfies posted online, and recordings of interviews for the January 6th Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, among other stuff. By juxtaposing and intermixing these contents, the film lets the people featured tell the story. No need for an on-screen presenter or off-screen narrator.

By the time you get through the halfway point of Untruth, one thing starts to become clear. The ultimate purpose isn't to provide hope for change and propose solutions to the central problem, though it does do that briefly. It's to warn us about the incredibly dangerous situation that America is in. This film was first made available online on October 20, 2022, a little less than three weeks before the 2022 midterm elections, and this is no coincidence. In the eyes of many Americans, the 2022 midterm elections will determine whether America shall survive as a democracy or fall to authoritarianism. Hence, the film's subtitle "The War for Democracy." It's a wake-up call for Americans to take action.

On a scale of 1 to 10, Untruth: The War for Democracy is an 8, which is the same rating I gave to Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump. At the same time, I will say that Untruth is slightly better than Unfit, mainly for the greater emotional intensity associated with the subject matter. This is certainly a film that anyone interested in American politics should watch, especially if Trumpism frightens them. It should also be required viewing for Americans who don't normally pay close attention to the news. Really, all Americans should view this and take its message to heart: American democracy is on the edge of the abyss, and it's up to its people to save it.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Untruth, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump.