Following the Social Dilemma formula, Persona tries to make bank on a new type of entertainment- exposing digital and algorithmic tools for their impact on society. This is an admirable goal but this execution is cringe-worthy.
The producers of Social Dilemma seemed to care about a world thrown to the wolves, even as they could not help but use histrionics and gimmicks in the end. Here it's just histrionics and gimmicks, without relief. The music, the pacing, the suspenseful reviews, the calling forth of "experts" outside of psychology, the absurdly staged shots of an English professor doing "investigative journalism" in leather jacket and heels- the whole thing is just an embarrassment, and very much of the moment.
Persona is supposed to be based on a bestselling book about the Myer Briggs test. The book itself is already cause for concern and a good indicator of what the movie spinoff would look like. The author had no access to the archives, is not a journalist, and has no formal training in either psychology or data science. But white supremacist capitalism seems to be very important to her. This scam has now become an HBO special. Please spare us from both personality testing and low budget thrillers about personality testing.
The producers of Social Dilemma seemed to care about a world thrown to the wolves, even as they could not help but use histrionics and gimmicks in the end. Here it's just histrionics and gimmicks, without relief. The music, the pacing, the suspenseful reviews, the calling forth of "experts" outside of psychology, the absurdly staged shots of an English professor doing "investigative journalism" in leather jacket and heels- the whole thing is just an embarrassment, and very much of the moment.
Persona is supposed to be based on a bestselling book about the Myer Briggs test. The book itself is already cause for concern and a good indicator of what the movie spinoff would look like. The author had no access to the archives, is not a journalist, and has no formal training in either psychology or data science. But white supremacist capitalism seems to be very important to her. This scam has now become an HBO special. Please spare us from both personality testing and low budget thrillers about personality testing.