The documentary "October 8” handles the surge in antisemitism following the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel, resulting in over 1,200 casualties and 251 hostages. The film, directed by Wendy Sachs, draws on a range of interviewees - prominent figures, academics, journalists, Jewish group leaders, extremism watchdogs, and a survivor of the attack, to tell a harrowing tale that illustrates the wave of antisemitism, especially in universities and on social media platforms.

The film holds that the rapid increase in antisemitism was witnessed on a scale unprecedented since the Holocaust, with atrocities heralded on social media and several college campuses, as well as during a pro-Palestine gathering in New York’s Times Square. Alarmingly, an academic at Cornell even expressed energization by the massacre. This increasing hostility led to many university leadership resignations in the wake of pro-Palestine protests and their politicization by the Trump administration.

The film reveals why numerous socially progressive universities permitted demonstrations that made Jewish students and staff feel threatened. Interviewees speculate that the younger generation greatly relies on brought to them online, therefore making them susceptible to misinformation or propaganda. Social media is ascribed the power to magnify such anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiments.

The documentary makes connections between the Social Justice for Palestine (SJP) groups on campuses and charities affiliated with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, alleging them to be funding sponsors. It also reiterates that the media played a significant role in shaping the narrative, echoing a comparison between Israel’s strategy of inviting international journalists to report on the damage and Gen. Eisenhower’s action of leading the press to German concentration camps during World War II.

Hollywood figures such as Debra Messing and Michael Rapoport also voice their disappointment at the lack of direct condemnation of violence from their industry peers, with Messing particularly expressing surprise at the lack of support for the hostages. Mixing interviews with news footage, internet videos, and chat graphics, the film purposefully presents these points, shedding light on a prevailing issue that needs to be addressed.