The Century of the Self (Full Adam Curtis Documentary)

If you’ve ever wondered how your deepest desires got hijacked by marketing campaigns, Adam Curtis’s documentary The Century of the Self is your rabbit hole. This full-length feature dives into the psychological roots of consumerism, tracing how Freud’s theories were repurposed to shape modern advertising and politics. It’s like watching the blueprint of how brands learned to whisper sweet nothings into our subconscious. Curtis doesn’t just skim the surface, he unpacks how Edward Bernays (Freud’s nephew, no less) turned psychoanalysis into a tool for mass persuasion. Think of it as the origin story of every impulse buy you’ve ever made.

But it’s not all about ads and shopping carts. The documentary also explores how these psychological tactics seeped into politics, transforming citizens into consumers of ideology. Curtis shows how the shift from collective identity to individualism wasn’t just cultural, it was engineered. You’ll see how politicians started selling themselves like products, tapping into personal fears and desires instead of offering collective solutions. It’s wild, honestly. Like realizing your vote might’ve been swayed by the same techniques used to sell toothpaste. The pacing is deliberate, the archival footage is rich, and the narration? Classic Curtis, calm, eerie, and deeply unsettling in the best way.

By the end, you’re left questioning not just the system, but your own sense of self. Are your choices really yours? Or are they curated by decades of psychological manipulation? It’s not a light watch, but it’s the kind of documentary that sticks with you, nudging you to look twice at every ad, every campaign slogan, every “limited time offer.” If you’re into media theory, psychology, or just love peeling back the layers of society’s glossy surface, this one’s a must-watch. And hey, if you want more mind-bending content like this, check out David Lessig’s channel, he’s the one who uploaded this gem.