TICKLED: Anatomy Of A Troll

There are no shortage of docs that explore underworlds and subcultures most of us have hardly considered, if we knew they existed at all. These sorts of films, which have been a hallmark of the modern documentary since Salesman and feature subjects as varied as those of Paris is Burning and Murderball, serve both to reveal what is unique about adherents of a particular subculture as well as communicate how they have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else.

The new documentary Tickled is no exception, but it flips the idea on its ear. Taking as a given that fetishes are relatable to a wide portion of the audience, the film has little interest in the fetish itself, though that may have been co-directors David Farrier and Dylan Reeve‘s initial interest in starting the project. Rather, Tickled promptly pivots to a much more sinister plot thread fraught with intrigue and tragedy, that ultimately seeks to reveal that the true perversion is not in the tickling, but something at once both more and less universal.

Tickled follows Farrier, a New Zealand journalist who finds himself quickly in over his head once he begins to investigate a company involved in the production and dissemination of competitive tickling videos. Given their generally lighthearted and silly nature, David is surprised to get some very nasty and pointed responses from their creators as thanks for his interest. Seeing the startling incongruity between the videos and the demeanor of those responsible for them, he rightly figures that there’s a larger story there.

He enlists his colleague, Dylan, to travel with him to America to uncover exactly what the hell is going on. Up against a tide of vicious correspondences, endless legal threats and seemingly limitless financial resources, the pair trudge on to ensure that their film, and probably more importantly they themselves, find resolution.

The Politics of Desire

David and Dylan quickly learn that they are not the only ones subject to harassment by the producers of the tickling videos, Jane O’Brien Media. In fact, a disturbing number those who participated in the productions have been subject to ongoing harassment, mostly online, that has seen some of their lives ruined. What is clear from these circumstances is that the person contracting these videos is not so much interested merely in tickling, but in control.

The videos all star athletically built young men, and depict their submission and total loss of agency over their bodies. Harmless enough, but after the shooting is complete some actors realize the video have a purpose beyond merely enjoying some giggles and spasms. Tickled reveals a brutal pattern of harassment in which the videos themselves are used as forms of blackmail to discredit the actors in their personal and professional lives. It is a much less playful and far more potent manifestation of the element of control that so clearly excites the shadowy owner of Jane O’Brien.

The opposite side of the tickling coin is occupied by Richard Ivey, who also shoots tickle fetish videos. However, he is very open and up front about their purpose, and doesn’t attempt to ruin the lives of his actors after they’ve served his purpose. Only a few months after he started Richard was able to quit his job and work full time on his passion, and is proud of what he’s built; a community of people who enjoy watching hot young guys get tickled as well as an outlet for their fantasies – nothing more, nothing less.

What Richard lacks then that Jane O’Brien has in spades is shame. The person making the Jane O’Brien videos is so embarrassed by their own desires that they feel it necessary to label them not as erotica, which they clearly are, but as a competitive athletic contest; a feeble attempt to place their excitement in the realm of the heteronormative. The Jane O’Brien producer is so ashamed by their own desires, and so confident that others will find them shameful as well, that they use them as a weapon against those they desire, literally projecting their shame outwards into the world and onto those far less powerful than themselves.

Tickling Is More Than Skin-Deep

In this way does Tickled move far beyond the scope of mere fetish videos and one particular narrative about a certain set of shadowy business negotiations and personal threats, and into the realm of evil in the world in general. Whether societal, familial or internal, the denial of innate desires and pleasures can very clearly lead not only to lashing out, but active ruin and destruction, as we saw so tragically in Orlando this month. If we as nations and a global community can create an environment that nurtures and accepts the Richard Iveys of the world, there’d be a lot less Jane O’Briens out there for us to worry about.

If I have any issues with the film, they aren’t ethical (as one of those less than happy to be featured in the film recently claimed at its LA premiere) so much as they are aesthetic. The film is beautifully edited, with an opening credits sequence that could be taught in film classes as an example of exposition without dialogue, but perhaps it is just slightly too much so.

Coming from the world of investigative journalism, I feel that at times the filmmakers let too much of those sensibilities into the process. Tropes of television news segments such as narration and on the street surprise shoots can make Tickled at times feel like it could’ve benefitted from a small injection of verité. However, given the extremely personal nature of the film’s plot, the lack of distancing is more understandable.

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With all that was at stake personally for the filmmakers, it is remarkable that they managed to turn out a documentary that not just effectively relates an interesting and unique story, or exists as an act of individual vindication, though it is both of those as well. Rather, Tickled delves straight into the heart of the human condition, examining our motivations, passions and perversions, whether of sexuality or character, and like the best documentaries do, leaves us with many more questions than when we started.

What do you think is the right of documentarians to make films on subjects without their consent? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Tickled is now in a limited theatrical run from Magnolia Pictures, opening in more screens in the US throughout July. Find international release dates here.