Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
The story of one of the most infamous books ever written, "The Anarchist Cookbook," and the role it's played in the life of its author, now 65, who wrote it at 19 in the midst of the counterculture upheaval of the late '60s and early '70s.
A probing documentary that derives its strength from the confrontational interview dynamic between filmmaker Charlie Siskel and William Powell, the aging author grappling with the legacy and moral weight of his youthful manifesto. The plot is essentially a sustained ethical interrogation—compelling but narrow in scope. Acting is largely irrelevant in a documentary context, though Powell's guarded, increasingly uncomfortable on-camera demeanor is more revealing than polished. Cinematography is functional talking-heads fare with little visual ambition. Novelty is moderate: the premise of holding an author accountable for real-world violence inspired by their work is genuinely interesting and underexplored, though the execution doesn't fully transcend its interview-doc format. The ending carries emotional weight as Powell's conflicted reckoning lands with quiet impact, especially poignant given he passed away shortly after filming.