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Risk
Movie

Risk

2017 • Unknown

Woke Score
5
out of 10

Plot

Capturing the story of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange with unprecedented access, director Laura Poitras finds herself caught between the motives and contradictions of Assange and his inner circle in a documentary portrait of power, betrayal, truth and sacrifice.

Overall Series Review

The documentary 'Risk' begins as a portrait of Julian Assange's fight for 'radical transparency' and his clash with state power but undergoes a fundamental shift as the filmmaker's access and perspective evolve. The narrative turns inward to critique the personal character of the central male figures, particularly focusing on Assange's ego, narcissism, and his handling of sexual misconduct allegations. Director Laura Poitras uses her own voiceover to acknowledge this shift, stating that the moral contradictions of Assange's inner circle 'became the story.' The film heavily features Assange's dismissal of the sexual assault claims as a 'radical feminist political positioning thing,' which frames a significant part of the plot through a gender conflict lens. The film's overall critique is aimed at the power structures of government secrecy and the ethical failures of its male revolutionary subjects, rather than a broad condemnation of Western civilization or a focus on non-traditional sexualities.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics6/10

The film documents a major conflict hinging on the intersection of gender and alleged power abuse, moving the story away from the universal merit of 'radical transparency' toward the personal character and sexual misconduct allegations against Assange and a male associate. The protagonist is shown directly framing his legal troubles as a 'radical feminist political positioning thing,' injecting a specific identity-based critique into the narrative.

Oikophobia3/10

The central theme is a targeted criticism of US government secrecy and surveillance, consistent with a free press or whistleblowing ideology, not a broad-based hostility toward all of Western civilization or its core institutions. The critique is aimed at corrupt systems and contemporary state power, not Western heritage or ancestors.

Feminism8/10

The director consciously re-edited the film to include a strong critique of the male protagonist, Julian Assange, detailing his 'narcissism' and 'boorish behavior' regarding sexual assault allegations. The director's voiceover and narrative focus heavily frame the men's flawed character and alleged 'workplace misogyny' as a central issue, which strongly reflects the feministic critique of toxic masculinity and power.

LGBTQ+5/10

The theme is present primarily through the sexual misconduct allegations against two men in the WikiLeaks circle. Assange's comments about the allegations involving a 'lesbian nightclub' and 'radical feminist' politics introduce a gender and sexuality component. The film does not center on deconstructing the nuclear family or promoting gender ideology to children, but the critique of sexual politics is an unavoidable part of the narrative focus.

Anti-Theism1/10

The documentary is intensely focused on political, journalistic, and ethical conflicts surrounding state secrets and personal accountability. It does not address traditional religion, Christianity, or transcendent morality, operating instead within a purely secular framework of political truth and subjective personal ethics.