Directed by Nicole Newnham, Shere Hite‘s bestselling book The Hite Report liberated female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous surveys. Her findings rocked the American establishment and conversations about gender and sexuality.

Not familiar with the name Shere Hite? You’re not alone and yet The Hite Report is one of the best selling books of all time. So why don’t we hear more about her? Well, it’s a good question and one that Nicole Newnham does a pretty fantastic job of answering with The Disappearance of Shere Hite. The simple answer is that she was consistently and unwaveringly undermined and bombarded by a misogynist society, who didn’t like what she had to say or that it was being said by a woman.

Actually watching the clear, undeniable evidence of that tirade against not only her ideas and research but also her character, is genuinely hard to watch at times. It’s all dripping with insecurity, that instinct to take everything she’s saying as an insult to men, rather than seeing it as an insight into women. Even the reporters and television presenters seem to find a need to prove that she hates men, when she very clearly does not. Attempting to control and provoke her at every turn in, what should have been then but is only just now acknowledged as, hugely unprofessional behaviour. It is genuinely infuriating to watch and along with that furore, it also builds an affecting sadness as you can see her slowly lose the energy to deal with the prejudice.

The other aspect that Nicole Newnham does really well to balance the film as a whole is to not simply focus on the gender politics but also to take a look at Shere Hite’s life. It doesn’t just explore the hate she faced but what sort of person she was, and the people she had in her life. As well as casting Dakota Johnson to voice Shere Hite which was a stroke of genius because she’s a perfect fit. Johnson’s mix of confidence, intelligence and charm is the ideal choice to do justice to a woman like Hite.

The Disappearance of Shere Hite is a potent example of how successful women in the past have been constantly undermined and insulted, in an attempt to beat them into submission. It will be of no surprise to anyone after watching this documentary why Hite stepped away from the limelight. It’s extremely well put together to give an appropriately maddening perspective of her experiences and how that impacted her both personally and professionally. You certainly won’t forget it anytime soon.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯ | 8/10

In UK cinemas from 12 January