How to Become a Tyrant explained

Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:6
Runtime:25‑30 minutes
Company:Citizen Jones, Estuary Films
Network:Netflix

How to Become a Tyrant is a Netflix docu-series narrated by Peter Dinklage.[1] It is partly based on the 2011 non-fiction book The Dictator’s Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics.[2]

It was followed by another series using the same format, also narrated by Dinklage, called How to Become a Cult Leader, which was released on 28 July 2023.

On 14 November 2023, How to Become a Mob Boss was released.

Plot

The narrator states that everybody wants absolute power to transform society to their liking and proceeds to explain how such power can be obtained and sustained. The docu-series proceeds to analyze biographies of historical dictators Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Joseph Stalin, Muammar Gaddafi and the Kim family.

Cast

Production

The series was executive produced by David Ginsberg, Jake Laufer, Jonas Bell Pasht, Peter Dinklage, and Jonah Bekhor.[4] The British Board of Film Classification issued a '15' certificate for the series.[5]

Release

The series was released on Netflix on 9 July 2021.[6]

Reception

How to Become a Tyrant generally received positive feedback. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average score of 5.5/10.[7] On IMDb, it has an average rating of 7.7/10.[8]

The series was commonly praised for its combined use of archival footage and animation, while also being informative and maintaining a dark tone.[9] Joe Keller of Decider wrote "[d]espite the weirdness of the show's tone, How To Become A Tyrant gives good capsule histories of how various dictators came to and stayed in power." Shreshta Shulka of Digital Mafia Talkies praised the series for its "beautiful blend of creativity achieved by mincing together animation, real-life footage, and anecdotes showcas[ing] various tyrannical tryst with destinies to perfection."[10]

A point of criticism against How to Become a Tyrant was its infrequent references to Mao Zedong, who ruled China as a dictator from 1949 to 1976. Due to Mao's role in the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution – both of which were attributed to millions of deaths –, it was expected that he would have a more significant role in the series than only a few mentions.[11] Jim Shannon lamented that the show ought to "[give] a prominent place to the horrors meted out against China's citizens" under Mao Zedong.[12] Additionally, reviewers criticized the series for its lacking representation of other 20th century dictators such as Pol Pot,[13] Chiang Kai-shek,[14] Pinochet, Videla, and Stroessner.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fishman. Scott. 'How to Become a Tyrant' EPs on Series' Humor, Landing Narrator Peter Dinklage. TV Insider. 8 July 2021 . 11 July 2021. 9 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709210630/https://www.tvinsider.com/1004781/how-to-become-a-tyrant-netflix-peter-dinklage/. live.
  2. Web site: Keller . Joe . Stream It Or Skip It: 'How To Become A Tyrant' On Netflix, A Snarky Docuseries That Provides A “Handbook” On Becoming A Dictator . . July 13, 2021 . November 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221005111001/https://decider.com/2021/07/13/how-to-become-a-tyrant-netflix-review/ . October 5, 2022 . live.
  3. Web site: IMDb How to Become a Tyrant. IMDb. 18 July 2021.
  4. News: Del Rosario. Alexandria. 7 July 2021. 'How To Become A Tyrant': Peter Dinklage Narrates Dictator Playbook In Trailer For Netflix Historical Docuseries. Deadline Hollywood. 11 July 2021. 8 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210708002010/https://deadline.com/video/how-to-become-a-tyrant-trailer-netflix-peter-dinklage-historical-docuseries/. live.
  5. Web site: July 8, 2021. How To Become A Tyrant. live. July 11, 2021. British Board of Film Classification. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711113142/https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/how-to-become-a-tyrant-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc01mzixntk.
  6. News: Berry. Jo. 7 July 2021. How to Become a Tyrant release date: Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage narrates Netflix doc. Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. 11 July 2021. 0033-8060. 7 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210707162039/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/how-to-become-a-tyrant-release-date-netflix/. live.
  7. Web site: How to Become a Tyrant: Season 1 . . November 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240213071936/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/how_to_become_a_tyrant/s01 . February 13, 2024 . live.
  8. Web site: How to Become a Tyrant (TV Mini Series 2021) - Ratings . . November 6, 2024.
  9. Web site: Dutta Yadav . Medha . 'How to Become a Tyrant' movie review: A tale of six dictators . . July 17, 2021 . November 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221210083243/https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2021/Jul/18/how-to-become-a-tyrant-movie-review-a-tale-of-six-dictators-2330931.html . December 10, 2022 . live.
  10. Web site: Shulka . Shreshta . 'How to Become a Tyrant' Review – Understanding The Psyche of a Dictator! . Digital Mafia Talkies . August 17, 2021 . November 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221127054006/https://dmtalkies.com/how-to-become-a-tyrant-summary-review-2021-docu-series-peter-dinklage/ . November 27, 2022 . live.
  11. Web site: Karayanis . Dean . Netflix whitewashes history’s greatest tyrant, Mao Zedong . . August 19, 2021 . November 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210822164443/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/19/netflix-whitewashes-historys-greatest-tyrant-mao-z/ . August 22, 2021 . live.
  12. News: Kula . Adam . May 15, 2022 . Netflix show How To Become a Tyrant is sweeping Mao's mass murder under the carpet says vocal China critic . . May 19, 2022.
  13. Web site: Gomez . Ryan . How to Become a Tyrant review: A crash course on tyranny and villainy from the 20th century . OTTplay . July 19, 2021 . November 6, 2024.
  14. Web site: How to Become a Tyrant (Netflix) . History Nerds . November 6, 2024.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "How to Become a Tyrant".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.