Bitter Lake (2015)

Adam Curtis will probably be a name familiar with many of you, his new series, Can't Get You Out Of My Head, premiered on BBC in 2021. Bitter Lake is a harrowing, and frankly staggering exploration of Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S, reaching back as far as the 1950's. Many will know the key points in this relationship, but Bitter Lake delves into how this particular association affected the war in Afghanistan. What is particularly worrying about the documentary is that western politicians attempted to simplify the Afghanistan conflict into a black and white battle between good and evil to justify the violence; or at least that's what you originally assume, only to discover that it appears no-one involved in the conflict, from a western perspective, had ever picked up a history book. Curtis' style is addictive, as is his phenomenal ability to handpick such a perfect soundtrack, using Nine Inch Nails and Burial amongst others to compelling effect. 8.5/10