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How to Become a Tyrant

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How to Become a Tyrant
Genre
Narrated byPeter Dinklage
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Running time25‑30 minutes
Production companiesCitizen Jones, Estuary Films
Original release
NetworkNetflix
Release9 July 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

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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

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Episodes

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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

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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

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

Reception

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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

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References

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  1. ^ Fishman, Scott (8 July 2021). "'How to Become a Tyrant' EPs on Series' Humor, Landing Narrator Peter Dinklage". TV Insider. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 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 18 July 2021.
  4. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandria (7 July 2021). "'How To Become A Tyrant': Peter Dinklage Narrates Dictator Playbook In Trailer For Netflix Historical Docuseries". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  5. ^ "How To Become A Tyrant". British Board of Film Classification. July 8, 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  6. ^ 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. ISSN 0033-8060. Archived from the original on 7 July 2021. Retrieved 11 July 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.
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