E8948E

6/10

Not sure Theroux's usual approach really worked here. His strategy has always been to ask uncomfortable questions and then keep quiet as the interviewees talk themselves into a hole. With these guys, they'll happily spend all day talking without prompting. One of our first encounters with HSTikkyTokky sees Theroux having to ask for a normal conversation rather than leaving HS to yap directly into their cameras. None of them care about digging holes either. They're fully aware they're in an attention economy where saying the most provocative shit is the name of the game. They know they're in the hole but they want to be there because there's money to be found at the bottom. Throughout the documentary, we're supposed to see through the façade of these lifestyles. The relationship strains caused by excessive womanising and indulgence are meant to be cautionary tales. Except this ignores how many of their viewers will aspire to these lifestyles regardless. If you're watching Fresh and Fit Podcast as a below average guy making minimum wage, living at home and never getting laid then the leased supercars, rented condos and throwaway hook-ups with Instagram models are still going to look appealing. Towards the end, we get a brief look into the crossover between the manosphere and conspiracy theories. This is played for laughs and it's almost like Theroux is taking inspiration from his interviewees. "The world isn't run by Sam Smith" is a funny rebuttal to be clipped and shared online. Except the full context is Satanist imagery used by celebrities and advertising. Earlier, we were shown how everyone in the manosphere copies Andrew Tate's hand gestures as symbolism. Is it really that hard to believe covering over one eye could be the same thing for another group? The reach, influence and depraved behaviour of the Epstein class is a proven fact by this point. We live in a post-conspiracy age and this seemed like a pointless detour. In the end, Theroux is trying to shine a spotlight on cockroaches that don't mind the light. They're the reverse Bane: they were born in it, moulded by it. If you've never encountered these ideas before, it'll be shocking. Those who dislike the manosphere will continue to do so. But for guys already on board with it all I doubt this will change their minds.

WaltDizney

0/10

Oh boy, yet another extremely effeminate British man is upset about men having testosterone. I hope he knows that everyone around the world see that he's yet another limp-wristed crybaby.

durack

8/10

I watched Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere today and came away thinking the same thing for most of the documentary: *this is fascinating… but I’m not sure it’s having the effect it thinks it’s having.* I wasn’t familiar with Louis Theroux before watching this, but his style is pretty easy to pick up quickly. He’s polite, slightly awkward, and asks questions in a calm, curious way that encourages people to keep talking. Sometimes a bit too much. The documentary sets out to examine what’s often called the “manosphere”, the online world where people debate masculinity, dating and modern gender dynamics. Theroux spends time with some of the better known personalities in that space, including Andrew Tate, Myron Gaines and Pearl Davis. The goal seems pretty clear. Put these figures under the microscope and expose the problems with their worldview. But while watching it, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the documentary occasionally turns into the best marketing campaign the manosphere could ask for. Instead of dismantling these personalities, the film often gives them plenty of time to calmly explain their views. If you had never heard of them before, this documentary might actually be the first thing that sends you to look them up on YouTube afterwards. Theroux himself also adds an interesting dynamic. His gentle, slightly nerdy and very non-confrontational presence is clearly meant to contrast with the personalities he’s interviewing. The problem is that he unintentionally embodies the exact “beta male” stereotype that many manosphere commentators regularly criticise. At times it feels less like he’s challenging their worldview and more like he’s accidentally demonstrating it. Even so, the documentary is still worth watching. You do get a glimpse into how this whole online ecosystem works. A lot of the outrage clearly runs on attention, algorithms and the basic internet rule that controversy equals clicks. Where the film feels a little thin is in explaining why these ideas resonate with so many young men in the first place. Instead of digging into the social or cultural reasons, the focus stays mostly on the personalities themselves. Personally I sit somewhere in the middle of this whole debate. I understand why critics on the far left are concerned about parts of the manosphere, but I also understand why many men are drawn to the conversations happening there. The real problem is that the loudest voices on both sides tend to turn everything into a shouting match. In the end, *Inside the Manosphere* is still a very watchable documentary. It shines a light on a strange corner of the internet that clearly isn’t going away anytime soon. I’m just not entirely convinced it dismantles the movement it set out to examine. If anything, it might accidentally send a few new recruits their way.