The storming of the Capitol in Washington by Donald Trump’s supporters seemed surreal enough when it happened in January, said Carol Midgley in The Times. But as this “excellent” new BBC documentary makes clear, what we saw on TV “barely scratched the surface”.
Watching the 90-minute film is like being dropped into the throng, and immersed with an unhinged mob “high on mutiny and self-righteousness”. You see their “gurning, malevolent faces”; you feel the “terrible crush” as the crowd is pushed and heaved into the building. You witness the horror and fear of the police officers; one is rammed, unable to breathe, against a door, another is reeling after being Tasered in the head.
Yet despite the bleakness of it all, there are moments of levity in the film. One arrested rioter is not happy about his cell: “I’m a firm believer in capital punishment and hard labour,” he says, “but to lock someone in a cell for nine days and not even let them take a shower? That’s un-American and inhumane.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On the day, we saw the protesters’ anger, said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph. Interviewed here, they come across as “calm, smug and deluded”; and they damn themselves with their words.
The film also includes interviews with many of the police who tried to hold back the mob, said Lucy Mangan in The Guardian. One officer died on the day; since January, four more officers who served that day have taken their own lives. From the outside, “perhaps it didn’t look that bad”. This film shows “it was that bad, and worse”.
Watch on BBC iPlayer
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Crossword: October 5, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipeThe Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite booksThe Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 millionFeature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classicThe Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period dramaThe Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thrillerThe Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiryThe Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’
