“The Great Hack” is an “in the moment” documentary digging into the Cambridge Analytica scandal (that’s the term that’s often used; watch this film and you’ll call it a crime) of a firm using Facebook data to help bring about Trump and Brexit. Does anyone realize how recent those events were? Now directors Karin Aimer and Jehane artfully and unobtrusively, but to great dramatic effect, cover the ongoing (and still “going on”) series of revelations about the real truth. A multi-pronged examination, “The Great Hack” focuses on brave academic David Carroll, intrepid journo Carole Cadwalladr, and, from the trenches, whistleblowers Brittany Kaiser and Chris Wyllie. It’s a stunning, tense narrative that zings from an atmospheric start to its savage climax. CA, in particular its former CEO, fight hard to seem relatively innocent but instead reveal the consultancy as a propaganda gun for hire marketing to despots and would-be despots around the world. This is a must-see for anyone concerned about data privacy and a fine piece of film-making.
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