Movie Review "#UNFIT: the Psychology of Donald Trump"

This EXCELLENT indie documentary, created by Doc Shop Productions in coordination with Duty to Warn (@duty2warn) and directed by multi-Emmy winner Dan Partland, is a must-see for anybody planning to vote in the November 3rd Presidential Election -- and that should be every voter in America.  Much has been said about Trump's erratic personality, but this film goes deeper.  As health care professionals, the psychiatrists and psychologists of  Duty to Warn believe it is their duty to warn the public about the dangers that a malignant narcissist like Donald Trump poses to society, and why he should be removed from office.

Not a political film per se, #UNFIT is science-based.  Rather than take stands on issues of policy, it explores the toxicity of Trump's personality and the dangers of having such a person in a position of power.  A malignant narcissist, according to Eric Fromm, has (at least) these four symptoms:

Narcissistic: totally wrapped up in him/herself

Paranoid:  suspicious of everyone, seeing conspiracies everywhere

Anti-social: lying, defrauding, manipulating other people with no remorse

Sadistic: Enjoying and/or inflicting pain of others

All of these behaviors are clearly evident in Donald Trump.  In the film, experts explain the Goldwater Rule, which states that mental health professionals should not diagnose public figures without actually meeting with them.  However, they make the point that the Goldwater Rule was never intended to be a gag order, and explain why this should be overridden in the Trump case by the "clear and present danger" to society. In such a case, it is their duty to warn.  Experts in the film also make the point that mental disorders are diagnosed by observing behaviors, and with all the hundreds of hours of Trump footage available, his behavior is clearly observable by everyone.

The style of the film is dynamic and fast-moving, with video clips, historical photos and animations interspersed with the usual talking heads.  (View the trailer here.)  As a contributor to the Kickstarter campaign that funded this project (making it completely independent of any other group or organization), I was privileged to view the pre-release.  I can wholeheartedly say this film ranks among the very best documentaries I have seen.  Five stars! 

Release date:  September 1, 2020

Originally scheduled for a theater release, but plans changed with arrival of COVID19).  Instead, it will be aailable on demand on a wide variety of formats: Cable networks (Comcast, Spectrum, etc.), Satellite (DirectTV, DISH, etc.) and online streaming platforms (Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, etc.)  Which is probably better than a theater release anyway, making it possible to watch the film just about anywhere.  Rental cost is $5.99.  Check it out!

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