Tickled

David Ferrier, an effervescent TV personality from New Zealand, happens upon a video of competitive endurance tickling—one of the more bizarre sports to arise since the explosion of the internet. While searching for a subject to interview, he stumbles upon a mysterious website that produces tickling videos owned by Jane O’Brien Media. He sends a message and is immediately subjected to vicious homophobic attacks that persist for weeks. Convinced there’s more to the story, Ferrier begins investigating the company behind the coerced laughs. What he finds is unnerving—a deep-rooted conspiracy of corruption and abuse that takes him from Hollywood to Wall Street and even Muskegon, Michigan. It turns out Jane O’Brien’s tickling empire is just the beginning. By the end of Ferrier’s investigation, no one is laughing. A twisting labyrinth of obsession, manipulation, and cruelty, Ferrier’s film is highly respectful of his subject matter while deeply critical of the people in power behind it. –C.P.