Hacking at Leaves (2024)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Told from the point of view of the eccentric Johannes Grenzfurthner, Hacking at Leaves traverses the problematic history of the United States, analyzing its colonial past, the struggles that have befallen the Navajo, and the new, ever-changing online reality that threatens our livelihoods. 

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I turned on Hacking at Leaves. I didn’t know what the heck the title was alluding to, I didn’t realize that I was going to be visually assaulted by Uncle Sam, and I had no idea that the political agenda that I thought was going to be the primary focus of this film would soon fall to the wayside and present viewers with something far more open and accessible. 

Hacking at Leaves is a wild ride that presents viewers with a series of important and grounded lessons on the history of this country. We hear about many of the atrocities that have continued to exist since before the country’s inception–and as a person that believes that this country is the greatest country in the world, I’m certainly not blind to the fact that unthinkable things have happened here. Hacking at Leaves never takes a specific political or cultural stance (though, it does allow its interviewees the opportunity to speak their mind), and while I’ll never fully be able to understand what certain peoples have gone through, this documentary has allowed me a better opportunity to appreciate the sentiments that they’ve been expressing for years. 

Again, Hacking at Leaves is a wild ride, and woven into the heartbreaking narratives present in the film are insane visuals of a fictional Uncle Sam effectively berating Grenzfurthner and verbally molesting nearly every viewer along the way. Interestingly enough, though, it’s funny–and, even better, it works. 

Written & Directed by Johannes Grenzfurthner. 

Starring Max Grodénchik, Roland Gratzer, Ryan Finnigan, Sunny Dooley, Kudra Owens, etc. 

7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING