Review: Dynasty – The Murdoch Family Power Struggle on Netflix

Netflix’s four-part documentary, Dynasty: The Murdochs, delves into Rupert Murdoch’s media empire and the familial power struggles among his children. While often compared to the HBO hit Succession, the documentary is more of a comprehensive history than a gripping drama. It examines Rupert’s rise to media dominance, his political influence from Reagan to Trump, and the controversies surrounding News of the World and Fox News, including phone hacking and harassment scandals. The series also highlights Rupert’s family dynamics, from his eldest daughter Prudence’s independence to Lachlan, James, and Elisabeth’s jockeying for succession. A central plot, Project Family Harmony, reveals Rupert and Lachlan’s plan to shift control of the family trust to prevent James from steering the business leftwards, underscoring the broader consequences of their personal disputes. Though the documentary presents colourful anecdotes—from Monopoly cheats to early career observations—it struggles to make the siblings’ corporate manoeuvrings compelling, emphasising nepotism and the overwhelming influence of Rupert himself. Ultimately, the series portrays the difficulty of caring about which billionaire gains more power when the outcome seems almost certain, offering a detailed but somewhat bleak picture of the Murdoch dynasty.