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Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5

Play trailer 1:57 Poster for Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 2025 1h 59m Documentary Biography History Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 83 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
From Academy Award®-nominated and BAFTA-winning director, Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro), Orwell is the definitive feature-length documentary on visionary author George Orwell, with the exclusive cooperation of the Orwell Estate. ‍"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past...," wrote Orwell in his novel, 1984. Today, the "newspeak" of authoritarian rule is alive and well and in unexpected places, from the rise of AI Chatbot to the Russian propaganda machine, from the marketing webs of commercial metaverses to the political banning of books in the Southern United States. Peck's "Orwell" will use George Orwell's life, work and legacy as a maverick iconoclastic writer to jam the signals of the algorithms gone rogue which, in the name of personal freedom, threaten to close our minds to a greater possibility.

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Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5

Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5

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Critics Consensus

Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 is a dense, urgent, and unapologetically blunt documentary that offers a chillingly relevant examination of totalitarianism's enduring appeal and the societal conditions that enable it.

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Critics Reviews

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Neil Alcock Empire Magazine Mar 28
3/5
A bitter howl at the injustice of the modern world, intellectualised through one of literature’s shrewdest figures. Powerful and eye-opening, but Orwell himself might have preferred a less partisan approach. Go to Full Review
David Jenkins Little White Lies Mar 28
2/5
The filmmaker draws some arresting audiovisual cues into the patchwork of images, but the film lacks some of the goofy wit of British documentarian Adam Curtis, whose own provocative essays at least offer some element of surprise. Go to Full Review
Tara Brady Irish Times Mar 27
2.5/5
The film often feels cluttered and overlong, shifting clumsily between biography, analysis and polemic. Go to Full Review
Victoria Luxford Clash Magazine Apr 1
6/10
A bold and frantic plea for history to not repeat itself… again Go to Full Review
Calum Cooper Cinerama Film Mar 28
3/5
In using Orwell’s most iconic book as a frame of reference, Peck and team partake in a compelling argument – one that is perhaps scattershot in delivery but horrifying in persuasion. Go to Full Review
Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall Mar 27
4.5/5
Orwell's specific target was the totalitarian methods seen in every ruling class. The results are unspeakable, historically and today. And the way Peck connects the dots is simply breathtaking. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Gregg Y Oct 18 Informative and visually captivating See more RG Oct 13 Very intense and very thoughtful. Agreed with much of it, but its so overtly one-sided that detracts a bit from its credibility. Lots of horrors that humans inflict upon one another shown, but no reference to 9/11 or the October 7, 2023 assault by Hamas. See more Terry M @RT27321898 5h I was hoping for a more balanced film as I love George Orwell. He would have hated this far left propaganda piece and that’s exactly what the film turns out to be. The producers wouldn’t in a millions years, thought that the left can be just as easy as extreme as the right. Showing right wing politics in America, Britain and Europe in one clip then switching to images of Hitler and his troops frog marching disgusted me. The film doesn’t project the left in any bad form at all. As I’ve said, this was a propaganda film aimed at sending a message to those leftists that the right of politics is fascism. I guess the film is very 1984 in its political endpoint. If your politics is anything but left wing, you will not enjoy. Very disappointed! See more Miriam J @JessicaJones 2d Orwell made a critique of authoritarian regimes and politics. This film just looked at right wing versions of leadership. There was little acknowledgment of left wing political authoritarian leadership. Ironic that is was not balanced and the film would have been far better if both sides had been looked at in a far more balanced and nuanced way. In the U.K. the left wing parties are beyond frightening. See more joanna D @joanna417 Apr 9 What a disappointment. The film to me consisted of three parts - educational as in his life his thoughts, photos and videos including of 1984 and animal farm films which for those whose knowledge is limited is of value. the second part of the visual of the historical totalitarian systems. for some it was educational though completely lazy, uninspiring with no critical thought. it added nothing new to those that never lived under such a regime. I did, and the life is really not what they portraits. the makers were not interested to explore the real side of life which is relevant to today. their view current situation was totally lazy, lack of thought and no discourse. totally predictable and boring. it failed to explore the new democratic totalitarian system we live in now. fabian society play book but it is here and it intensifies. The system of one truth, one narrative, the culture of "if you are not with us you are a racist, islamic or right wing extremist. propaganda pr piece See more kate W @RT22835983 Mar 15 A one -sided thoroughly curated propaganda movie that is using Orwell's work to create a desired narrative. No slightest attempt to be balanced and show how all sides are heavily using the tools of media and story telling to reach their goals. Selective examples with hinted distorted context. The end result is not any better than the "new speak" Orwell criticises. Cynical abuse of a masterpiece. See more Read all reviews
Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5

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Movie Info

Synopsis From Academy Award®-nominated and BAFTA-winning director, Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro), Orwell is the definitive feature-length documentary on visionary author George Orwell, with the exclusive cooperation of the Orwell Estate. ‍"Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past...," wrote Orwell in his novel, 1984. Today, the "newspeak" of authoritarian rule is alive and well and in unexpected places, from the rise of AI Chatbot to the Russian propaganda machine, from the marketing webs of commercial metaverses to the political banning of books in the Southern United States. Peck's "Orwell" will use George Orwell's life, work and legacy as a maverick iconoclastic writer to jam the signals of the algorithms gone rogue which, in the name of personal freedom, threaten to close our minds to a greater possibility.
Director
Raoul Peck
Producer
Alex Gibney, Blair Foster, Tamara Rosenberg, Nick Shumaker, George Chignell, Raoul Peck
Screenwriter
Raoul Peck
Distributor
NEON
Production Co
Closer Media, Anonymous Content, Jigsaw Productions
Genre
Documentary, Biography, History
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 3, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$350.3K
Runtime
1h 59m
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