Veteran documentarian Louis Theroux is no stranger to covering harmful subcultures, having previously profiled American neo-Nazis, the Westboro Baptist Church, and Scientology. But the new Netflix special is his most urgent work yet.
“Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere” explores a network of social media influencers and podcasters who speak directly to disenfranchised men, often introducing hyper-homophobic and sexist messages into their motivational quotes, financial advice, and workout-based content. Because this subculture’s tenet is not to trust traditional media sources, Theroux is able to negotiate incredible access to these hardline men who often backtrack on their worldviews when asked questions about them directly or when discussing them next to the women in their lives.
The documentary, released on March 11, is also remarkable in that this once-marginal perspective has now become mainstream with a devoted fan base.
Here are five of the wildest moments from the doc.
Actions that only a mother can love
Theroux spends time throughout the film with 23-year-old Harrison Sullivan, known as HSTikkyTokky. Sullivan’s words were often inflammatory, and he said his mother would reject the way he spoke, such as saying she would disown her son if he was gay, calling a female friend a “dishwasher” and saying “fuck the Jews” to “clip farm” him.
“My mother would be disappointed if I said that,” he said. “She hates racism, homophobia and sexism.”
When we meet his mother later in the film, she immediately appears to challenge her son’s extreme beliefs. However, she soon began criticizing Theroux’s way of asking questions, telling him, “You only did it to get a reaction, so stop it.” It remains to be seen whether the change in the mother’s attitude was due to her parents doing something to protect her son, or whether she was a dependent worried about her meal ticket.
Hold all the cards in a relationship
Justin Waller, a colleague of fellow Manosphere influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, has flaunted his wealthy lifestyle and said his marriage is “monogamous” and allows him to date and be with other women. When Theroux interviews his wife, Kristen, he learns that they have two children and are expecting a third soon. She describes their situation as “lanes,” with her lane in charge of childcare and housework, and his lane in charge of nurturing (or, as she lovingly sums up parenting, saying, “I don’t do any baths or diapers or anything like that”). But the most shocking moment was when Theroux realized that the couple was not married in the eyes of the state because of “financial aspects.”
“It certainly seems like a higher risk to me, but I don’t feel like I’m in any danger,” Kristen said, and Waller changed the subject before she could think long enough about how bad it would be if Waller left her.
Things get uncomfortable when women are allowed to speak freely.
Theroux spends a lot of time with Amroo Fadl, also known as Myron Gaines, a controversial podcaster who loves to criticize women’s looks, claims that women shouldn’t vote or join the military, and claims that he and his girlfriend Angie are in a “monogamous” relationship with the intention of having multiple wives in the future. Fadl goes on a rampage on the podcast, but the moment Theroux asks Angie a softball question, Fadl gets so uncomfortable that he sends her away.
When asked about the possibility of having multiple wives, Angie replied, “I don’t know. He’s said that in the past. We’ll see when it happens. We’ll see.” Fadl chimed in, “That’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there.”
Theroux said in a brief interview with Angie that Fadl “became unhappy.” Later, while waiting in the studio to record a segment for Fadol’s podcast, Theroux struck up a casual conversation with a female booker named Icy. Fadl saw her talking to the film director out of the corner of his eye during the recording and immediately texted Icy to stop talking to Theroux, but another awkward moment occurred as he tried to control the narrative.
A breather from the White House
One concerning factor is how many of these influential figures are respected by the Trump family. Nicola Ken de Ballintergy, known as Suniko, frequently expresses sentiments such as “women should not have the right to vote” and the idea that society is secretly controlled by devil worshipers. Baron is also a big MAGA fan who attended Trump’s inauguration and gala ball, and Barron says he’s been keeping an eye on his content.
Waller said he has been to Mar-a-Lago five or six times and has been photographed with both Barron and Donald Trump. Coupled with the fact that his fellow Tate brothers are getting a lot of goodwill from the right, it’s clear that the Trump family is in tune with the manosphere.
What’s worse, these influencers have many real-life fans
Having a digital following is another matter, but at several points in the film Suneko, Waller, and Sullivan are accosted by fans begging for photos on the street, gleefully justifying their dark speeches and praising them as thought leaders who inspire young people. It’s dark!
Watch the trailer for “Manosphere” below.
