Democracy Noir (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Political turmoil isn’t new, and truly the stories present in Democracy Noir aren’t either. This documentary aims to raise awareness and spread the word regarding the political, social, and economical treachery occurring in Hungary. With three women taking charge, they hope to change the world around them. 

I won’t bore you with my personal opinion on documentaries anymore; I’ve done that enough. Though Democracy Noir is the same as so many others that have come before it–and as a result I struggled to get on board. Regardless of your personal and political views, Democracy Noir comes off as being too aggressive, while not effectively presenting its thoughts and views to the world. It’s standard, one of the things that I’d never hope a film to be–but it’s standard nonetheless. 

There was never a moment in Democracy Noir in which the film was able to immerse me in this foreign, yet familiar world. What should have been easily accessible managed to create separation between itself and the viewing world. What doesn’t work is the fact that this is the same thing we see every single day on our local and national news channels, as we scroll through social media, etc.–and Director Connie Field doesn’t do enough to differentiate her film from the things we see each and every day. 

Democracy Noir follows the standard algorithm for documentaries, and it’s a relatively stagnant experience as a result. I couldn’t find a single moment in which any of the film’s subjects resonated with me, when nearly anything being said throughout struck a chord. Democracy Noir simply exists, and I struggle to find a legitimate reason as to why someone should watch this. 

Directed by Connie Field.

Starring Niko Antal, Babett Oroszi, Timea Sźabo, Viktor Orbán, Katya Andrusz, etc. 

3/10 = WORTH THE RISK, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED