TIFF50 Movie Review: Orwell 2+2=5 (Written by Ben Scanga)

 

Raoul Peck, film festival regular and documentarian extraordinaire, returns to TIFF’s 50th edition with 2+2=5, an intricate analysis of George Orwell’s most popular works, and a work that is mainly concerned with juxtaposing Orwell’s works against contemporary political and social landscapes. From the very first scene of the film, Peck immediately puts himself into a comfortable and familiar template. A great deal of the time, the picture operates as an archival documentary that borrows clips and scenes from movies like M3gan and Orwell’s various film adaptations—not to mention the numerous amounts of footage that concern political news coverage. As much as it is a film that is genuinely interested in the life/works of George Orwell, it also functions relatively well as a vehicle that is dead-set on observing the contemporary state of (mostly) Western politics. 

Operating on an archival formula, Peck utilizes this template to create various off-colour vignettes/bits that most mainstream audiences may not be entirely adjusted to. In the blink of an eye, Peck tends to bounce back and forth between utilizing AI to satirically commentate upon a Trump clip/quotation that was just presented and juxtaposing them with films and archival footage that have become accessible within the past decade or two. It’s an inherently engaging technique, when all things are considered; this strategy allows Peck to maintain a visually stimulating environment while also proposing open-ended questions towards the audience within the same breath. At the press screening, some of these juxtapositions were so strong that they summoned barrels of caught-off-guard laughter on behalf of the audience. This is not entirely a bad thing; this template allows the formula to feel fresh and engaging— something akin to car crash energy but never feeling sour in terms of intended tone.

Thank you to Elevation Pictures and TARO PR for providing us with access to this film. Orwell 2+2=5 opens in Canadian theaters on October 3rd, 2025.