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    How to Become a Tyrant

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 5 min

    How to Become a Tyrant
    Genre
    • Docu-series
    Narrated byPeter Dinklage
    Original languageEnglish
    No. of seasons1
    No. of episodes6
    Production
    Executive producers
    • David Ginsberg
    • Jake Laufer
    • Jonas Bell Pasht
    • Peter Dinklage
    • Jonah Bekhor
    Producers
    • Kellen Hertz
    • Brad Saunders
    • Rachel Elder
    • Marianna Yarovskaya
    • Calvin Singh
    • Alex Wismer
    • Paul Dektor
    Running time25‑30 minutes
    Production companiesCitizen Jones, Estuary Films
    Original release
    NetworkNetflix
    ReleaseJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)

    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

    [edit]

    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

    [edit]
    • Peter Dinklage as narrator
    • Waller Newell as commentator[3]

    Episodes

    [edit]
    No.TitleFeatured dictatorRuntimeOriginal release date
    1"Seize Power"Adolf Hitler30 minJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
    2"Crush Your Rivals"Saddam Hussein27 minJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
    3"Reign Through Terror"Idi Amin27 minJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
    4"Control the Truth"Joseph Stalin26 minJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
    5"Create a New Society"Muammar Gaddafi25 minJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)
    6"Rule Forever"Kim dynasty29 minJuly 9, 2021 (2021-07-09)

    Production

    [edit]

    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

    [edit]

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

    Reception

    [edit]

    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][10] 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."[2] 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."[11]

    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.[12] Jim Shannon lamented that the show ought to "[give] a prominent place to the horrors meted out against China's citizens" under Mao Zedong.[13] Additionally, reviewers criticized the series for its lacking representation of other 20th century dictators such as Pol Pot,[10] Chiang Kai-shek,[14] Pinochet, Videla, and Stroessner.[13]

    See also

    [edit]
    • The Dictator's Handbook, by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ Fishman, Scott (July 8, 2021). "'How to Become a Tyrant' EPs on Series' Humor, Landing Narrator Peter Dinklage". TV Insider. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
    2. ^ a b Keller, Joe (July 13, 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'How To Become A Tyrant' On Netflix, A Snarky Docuseries That Provides A "Handbook" On Becoming A Dictator". Decider. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    3. ^ "IMDb How to Become a Tyrant". IMDb. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
    4. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandria (July 7, 2021). "'How To Become A Tyrant': Peter Dinklage Narrates Dictator Playbook In Trailer For Netflix Historical Docuseries". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
    5. ^ "How To Become A Tyrant". British Board of Film Classification. July 8, 2021. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
    6. ^ Berry, Jo (July 7, 2021). "How to Become a Tyrant release date: Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage narrates Netflix doc". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. ISSN 0033-8060. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
    7. ^ "How to Become a Tyrant: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    8. ^ "How to Become a Tyrant (TV Mini Series 2021) - Ratings". IMDb. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    9. ^ Dutta Yadav, Medha (July 17, 2021). "'How to Become a Tyrant' movie review: A tale of six dictators". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    10. ^ a b Gomez, Ryan (July 19, 2021). "How to Become a Tyrant review: A crash course on tyranny and villainy from the 20th century". OTTplay. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    11. ^ Shulka, Shreshta (August 17, 2021). "'How to Become a Tyrant' Review – Understanding The Psyche of a Dictator!". Digital Mafia Talkies. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    12. ^ Karayanis, Dean (August 19, 2021). "Netflix whitewashes history's greatest tyrant, Mao Zedong". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    13. ^ a b 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". News Letter. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
    14. ^ "How to Become a Tyrant (Netflix)". History Nerds. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
    [edit]
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    Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How to Become a Tyrant
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