New World Order (2007)

New World Order is a documentary that explores the fascinating and strange sub-culture of conspiracy theory activists in the United States. In particular the idea that a global elite, composed of secret societies such as the bilderbergers and the freemasons are engaged in a plot to erode America’s sovereignty and establish a one world government or New World Order.

The film takes detached approach, by not arguing for or against the claims of these activists but exploring the daily lives and motivations of these figures. The film profiles everyone from a Christian who is attempting to establish an independent self governing community in Idaho, to young urban 9/11 truther, who weekly travels to ground zero to hand out flyers claiming that 9/11 was an inside job. However, the central figure of the film is the talk radio show host Alex Jones who runs a popular conspiracy website, and is viewed as the chief orator, intellectual father, and soul of the conspiracy movement.

The movie has some bizarre moments provided mainly by Jones, who travels the country trying to infiltrate bilderberg meetings, and believing that every step of the way he is being shadowed by the goons of a global conspiracy. The climax of the film also consists of Jones interrupting a live taping of the Geraldo Rivera show to expose what he claims are the main stream media’s cover up of 9/11.

However, far from being indictment of a loony fringe of Americans, New World Order explores the real passions and motivations of a group of people who believe in a cause, and determined to try to do something about it. Whether one accepts their theories or not, their beliefs reflect a very real frustration and distrust with government that has been growing in American politics since at least Watergate, and probably before, and in that sense the film shows its subjects in a more sympathetic light. Overall, New World Order is an entertaining and fascinating look at a group of people who are often written off as cranks.

9/10