If The Road to Serfdom is the defining polemic on how a totalitarian regime develops, V for Vendetta is its comic-book movie counterpart. It tells the story of a masked revolutionary fighting a tyrannical government.

Underneath its bloody theatrics and winsome hero, the movie tells the story of how totalitarian regimes form amidst formerly free and functional republics. In the movie, government officials manufacture a biological weapon and foment conflict to justify a swift power grab in the supposed best interest of the people. Throughout the movie, a theory of government undergirds the regime's actions with the state seen as the best option for ameliorating any wrongs.

Manufactured Crisis

In the opening scenes of V for Vendetta, the vigilante places explosives and destroys a prominent building in the London Metro area. After the blast, the High Chancellor convenes a meeting of high ranking government officials. He concocts a lie to disseminate to the populace, hoping to placate their fears and maintain their trust.