TV review: Web of Make Believe, Netflix (2022)

A fascinating background focus featuring the internet and various crimes, ‘Web of Make Believe’ is co-produced by Ron Howard. Diving deep into a variety of stories of life online since the 90s, the time of birth of the World Wide Web (now shortened today to “the web”), the show entertains and informs. I don’t want to spoil the suspense for potential viewers but the one on Nazis is of especial interest in the light of recent developments. There’s a double-feature on a technology invented by a defence contractor called Harris something (corp or whatever) the existence of which is initially highlighted by a fraudster in jail trying to beat a charge. This was in the years prior to Edward Snowden so it’s of particular interest to geeks like me.

I wanted more episodes and hope that the filmmakers get busy making some. I could easily watch a dozen more of these without batting an eyelid, and for the privilege of watching what they did produce stayed up all night in true cinephile style.

The one on Nazis is interesting because it focuses on a female primary actor, who got caught up in the lifestyle without apparently thinking too deeply on the implications of the nihilistic ideology. It’s a good case study to use to bring the ideas behind Nazism to the attention of a new generation of internet devotees who, apparently devoid of any credible information, give license to such characters to perpetuate the hateful mindset of the Ubermensch.