Starting with footage of the 2009 Obama inauguration, Brian Malone’s PATRIOCRACY lays the groundwork for the argument that the past few years have been among the most politically divided in our nation’s history.

Malone juxtaposes interviews with analysts, academics, and an all-star line-up of representatives with footage of prime-time pundits, everyday voters, and rallying activists. The result provides not only a grim picture of the current political landscape but an in-depth look into the character of the American people. PATRIOCRACY spends much of its time exploring the causes of our current state of affairs, placing blame on everything from the biased entertainment “news” shows that encourage division among their viewers to the secretive campaign funding of special-interests groups that has driven the cost of running for office to unprecedented levels. But Malone doesn’t only hold the powers that be responsible; he also calls out the American people for their complacency and tendency to listen only to what reinforces their own beliefs—while tuning out everything else.

Shot through a straightforward lens that emphasizes the gravity of its subject, PATRIOCRACY is sure to stir up feelings on the left and the right. But it is not merely alarmist; rather, this gripping depiction of the current low point in American politics is a call to action—and it even concludes with a faint glimmer of optimism.