‘Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy’ is a thought-provoking documentary that illuminates the forces driving modern consumerism.

Directed by Nic Stacey, it doesn’t necessarily tell us anything we don’t already suspect—that corporations design products to fail, manipulate our desires, and prioritize profit over sustainability—but it packages these ideas into a sharp, compelling narrative.

One of the documentary’s strongest moments is its unflinching look at the sheer scale of waste generated by consumer culture. The film captures the destruction of perfectly functional items—products discarded by corporations to maintain scarcity or protect profits.

Seeing mountains of goods needlessly destroyed is both shocking and infuriating, and it serves as a visceral reminder of how wasteful the system is. The scenes stay with you long after the credits roll.

The documentary’s strength also lies in its access to industry insiders like Maren Costa (formerly of Amazon) and Nirav Patel (a former Apple engineer), who share firsthand accounts of the tactics corporations use to keep us buying.

Their insights give credibility to the film’s arguments and remind us that consumerism isn’t just a byproduct of capitalism—it’s a deliberately engineered system. Hearing this directly from those who once worked within these companies makes the message land with more weight.

Visually, the film is clean and well-structured. However, the decision to use an AI narrator feels like a misstep.

It’s a clever concept in theory—invoking the voice of the machine—but in practice, it adds a layer of detachment that undermines the urgency of the film’s message. The information is engaging enough on its own without this stylistic gimmick.

‘Buy Now!’ doesn’t offer many groundbreaking revelations, and its solutions to the problems it presents are more implied than explicitly explored. However, it succeeds in making us think critically about the choices we make as consumers.

Released in the shadow of Black Friday, the film is a timely reminder that convenience and low prices often come with hidden costs—costs borne by the planet and the people working within these systems.

This is not a groundbreaking film, but it’s a solid and accessible entry point into the conversation about consumerism. For viewers willing to confront uncomfortable truths, it’s a worthwhile watch.

While not flawless, it does what a good documentary should:It informs, provokes, and leaves you asking questions.