Network (1976)

Sidney Lumet and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky dissect the terrifying convergence of corporate conglomeration, sensationalist broadcasting and public demoralisation. Peter Finch delivers a blistering turn as an unhinged newsreader whose genuine mental breakdown is packaged, monetised and weaponised for prime-time ratings. The terrifying truth at its core is that the corporate state does not fear dissent; it simply absorbs, televises and sells it back to the public.