There are a lot of strange things happening in the world right now. Some fantastical and some downright scary. We had Brexit of course and the rise of quasi fascist wannabes such as Putin and now Donald Trump.

We also seem to have a frightening inability to do anything about the horror that is Syria. Major nations and superpowers wringing their hands and shuffling their feet in complete disarray.

But how did we get here? There are not enough people actually discussing this. If we did work that out maybe we could then work out how to move forward. Well that most erudite of documentary makers Adam Curtis has now set out to do just that with his epic HyperNormalisation film that has just been released via the BBC iPlayer.

HyperNormalisation tells us the tale of how we manged to arrive into these extraordinary times. It can feel sometimes very disorientating living in this chaotic present and Curtis attempts to look through the hype and see the reality that lies behind. He argues that just has reality TV has infected the presidential race our whole culture has been warped by a strange unreality that we have somehow all stumbled into in our dreamlike state. Rather than face up to the realities of an increasingly complex and dangerous world our leaders and we ourselves have chosen to wrap ourselves up in a simpler, cosier world that we find easier to handle.

The trouble is that when we try to affect the world outside our warm, comfortable bubble it only leads to more chaos and less reason. It’s an interesting ride he takes us on and it offers an alternative view of where we are that shines a devastating light on our make-believe world.

HyperNormalisation by Adam Curtis is available to watch on BBC iPlayer