Exploring the life and mind of one of the most influential and controversial thinkers of our times, The Rise of Jordan Peterson gives voice to those who know, love, and loathe the Canadian psychologist, along with Person himself who proves to be a fascinating subject.

When a person achieves a high level of fame, often the perception of who they are casts a giant shadow over their real self. For Jordan Peterson, the spectrum of that perception is long. It is hard to find a more polarising figure today. For some, his fact-based straight talk is illuminating, daunting, and rewarding. For others, he represents a dangerous threat to opinions and world views tied intimately to identity.

The beginnings of Peterson’s global mega stardom began when the Canadian government passed a bill to amend their human rights act, where it was made illegal to incorrectly describe a persons preferred gender (whether intentional or not). Peterson spoke out against such government endorsed restriction on speech. From this line in the sand moment came a whirlwind of speaking engagements, media appearances, protests, and of course YouTube videos in which Peterson truly found an audience.

Director Patricia Marcoccia follows Peterson during this time of fame and infamy. She efficiently presents his transition from academic with an innate knowledge of the human condition and a strong fear of authoritarian rule, to a crusader against political correctness and for self-improvement ( particularly amongst males.) Straight forward and forthright, Peterson proves to be an engaging presence. While many have seen the him across the internet, what The Rise of Jordan Peterson provides is a chance to view Peterson as husband, father, son, and friend. Many of his family and friends appear in the film, with Peterson’s wife Tammy providing a calm counter to the Canadian psychologist’s intense personality.

Time is also given to his detractors, mainly from the LGBT community who believe that refusal to address a person by their preferred pro-nouns is not only morally repugnant, but dangerous. Scenes of left-wing activists attempting to drown out Peterson’s lectures with loud-speakers and horns backfires in a spectacular way, with Peterson becoming more popular as restrictions against his speech increase. Soon this underdog against government back political correctness begins to win the war of ideas.

It all comes at a price, though. Throughout the documentary, we see Peterson and his family deal with the fallout of security threats, misreporting in the media, and even a close family and friends cutting ties with the Peterson clan. Ugly exchanges on social media and during TV interviews often finds a frustrated Peterson let his frustrations boil over. For a man who emphasises the need to “clean your room”, he often does like to make things messy.

***1/2

