Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5 Armed with George Orwell’s powerful words, we fight against the rise of authoritarianism in the digital age. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 and immediately nominated for seven Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, including Best Feature and Best Director, this documentary does more than just tell Orwell’s story. This is a raw and emotional remix of his warnings, merging his life with a poignant collage of today’s horrors.
Peck, Oscar-nominated film director I’m not your black manturns Orwell’s essays, diaries, and books into a mirror of today’s world, showing how surveillance capitalism, political lies, and the loss of truth are all interconnected. With a running time of 100 minutes, it’s tight but intense, leaving you feeling a little paranoid and scrolling through your phone with new eyes. If you’ve ever wondered why 1984 From fiction to a kind of dire prophecy, this movie is a wake-up call.
The film shines brightest when it focuses on Orwell’s early years, particularly his Burmese years, when he developed a fierce opposition to totalitarianism. Peck uses black-and-white photographs and readings from his diary to show Orwell’s vulnerable and sickly side, suffering from smoking and tuberculosis before he became the iconic figure we know. Things get even more intense in the second half of the film, where Peck draws clear parallels between Orwell’s warnings and today’s headlines. Clips of the Iraq War’s bogus “weapons of mass destruction,” the January 6th Capitol riot, and social media manipulation are all woven into the mix. We see how governments and corporations use euphemisms like “Newspeak” to hide cruel realities. The film doesn’t shy away from comparing MAGA rallies to the cult of Big Brother and tech billionaires to Orwell’s inner-party party.
Damian Lewis’s narration is excellent, adding a sense of urgency to Orwell’s words. His gravelly voice packs a punch with lines like “The very concept of objective truth is disappearing from the world,” especially when paired with the visuals of lies spread on social media. However, the film can feel a little preachy at times. Peck, a Haitian activist with left-leaning views, has primarily targeted right-wing leaders and businesses, and less on authoritarian trends such as undoing culture and government control in so-called “progressive” countries. Some viewers have noted that the film occasionally depicts certain characters as villains, which could be interpreted as propaganda.
lastly, Orwell: 2+2=5 It’s not perfect. It’s messy, urgent, and full of raw emotion, like Orwell himself. With a score of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, the critically acclaimed film has earned its place in the awards conversation by refusing to be silenced. Peck doesn’t give easy answers. But if we accept that 2+2 can equal 5, it only tells us the hard truth about who is actually pulling the strings. At a time when truth is more fragile than ever, this documentary isn’t just a must-see, it’s a must-see.
- Email: neill@outloudculture.com
Source: OutLoud! Culture – outloudculture.com
