Behind the Curve

Flat Earthers are probably wetting themselves at having gained mainstream exposure from such a massive source as Netflix. Sadly (for them) they are exposed as "nice, real people, who are too stupid to understand basic science. But not bad at making wooden electric motorbikes". (Yes, you read that correctly)

I feel like a lot of the reviews here are coming from the viewpoint that this is a documentary about why the earth is flat. The reality is that this is a documentary about the people who hold and share this belief.

It doesn't explicitly, in-your-face tell you that these people are misguided. Through its editing of following the flat earth believers and cutting to real knowledge from both scientists & psychologists it helps to build a better understanding of why these people are the way that they are.

I would say this is half a documentary about the flat earthers themselves, and the other half is about building an understanding of why people in general can manage to hold any such belief about conspiracies. It explains how their minds work and why it works that way, while following a real group who operates within those parameters to illustrate it.

I have mixed feelings about his documentary. On the one hand, it is pretty clear that these folks are being presented as what they are - well meaning but maladjusted individuals who have bought into a down the rabbit hole idea with zero scientific support.

OTOH, it is also unfortunate to give exposure to such utterly bogus ideas. That is probably a disservice to the the rest of humanity.

As for me, I have been an amateur astronomer for over 30 years and can think of at least a half dozen simple tests that prove that the earth is indeed very round. Of course, presenting these to flat earthers would be a wast of time - if they cared about evidence, they would not be what they are.

In the end, the whole idea that such folks with such ideas even exist just made me sad.

A lot of commentators here criticise the film for not providing evidence that the earth is flat, as if it were created as flat earth propaganda. It isn't. The film focuses on those people who spread the idea that the earth is flat, in a more sociological sense. Attempts are made to explain why reasonably intelligent people might believe something that is patently nonsensical. The point is that there is no proof that the earth is flat, because the earth isn't flat. But people believe it, anyway. Who are these people, what exactly do they believe, and what motivates them? These are the questions the film asks. It has a wider theme of the increasing rejection of science and scientific expertise that Trump has made much more acceptable with large sections of society nowadays, and which social media facilitates. So no, don't expect this film to provide pro flat-earth evidence. There isn't any (the last 5 minutes are hilarious). The film wasn't made to do that.

I was thoroughly entertained, this doc allowed the Flat Earth folks to completely explain away their theories and let you decide just how MISLED they are. Getting Scott Kelly to add his two cents was icing on the cake. Seeing flat earthers prove themselves wrong then still deny the truth was an amazing thing to watch, which was also expertly explained by actual psychiatrists of why it happens. Anything without sufficient proof (FE, religion, ghosts, etc) there has to be some true mental gymnastics performed for these things to stay true to believers, and that is also expertly explained in a "loving" way. Highly recommend