The tale of Tickled begins in an all-too-familiar fashion: with journalist turned filmmaker David Farrier (New Zealand television’s Short Poppies) stumbling across something unusual on the internet. The mechanics of falling down a cyber rabbit hole and following a hyperlink trail about an intriguing topic is something that audiences can certainly relate to; however what happened next is another matter entirely — and not just because it involves the world of competitive endurance tickling.
Indeed, Tickled is a documentary of action and incredulity, as the former plays out on screen and the latter seeps beyond the bizarre real-life scenario and into the mindsets of watching viewers. As offbeat as the concept of turning an everyday act of physically trying to elicit laughter into a kind of sporting endeavour may seem, the reality proves sinister rather than enjoyable. Farrier doesn’t just discover a niche pastime that’s much more fetishist than it might sound; he exposes an enterprise built upon false promises, fraud, threats, intimidation, and exploitation. As he narrates his attempt to locate the person responsible, he avoids trotting out the old cliché about truth being stranger than fiction, but the statement certainly would’ve been appropriate.
Accordingly, what starts as an eccentric caper about an odd subject becomes a flabbergasting crusade, all sparked by an online search and an email exchange. Farrier contacts a company called Jane O’Brien Media to glean more about their little-known tickling contest, receives abusive messages about his sexuality and the promise of legal action in return, and then becomes determined to uncover just what’s really going on as a result. As he treks from New Zealand to the United States to find answers, his investigation leads into murkier territory — and to say that the rest of his quest is best experienced by watching continually proves an understatement.
As pivotal as its revelations remain in inspiring an astonished reaction, Tickled isn’t just reliant upon the bewildering details at its core, or the many technology-centric issues — anonymous online identities and adult instances of cyberbullying among them — that it inspires. Co-directing with Dylan Reeve, Farrier knows how to make a compelling situation even more so, with the film’s personal angle among its strengths. The reporter’s affable on-screen presence, quick use of humour, and self-described willingness to dive into weird topics sets the stage for a documentary that’s as much about the darker side of everyday curiosities as it is the specific circumstances. Tickled also offers an insight into the many ups and downs of chasing a dream, be it indulging in your fantasies, trying to earn enough cash to live well in a failing economy, or pursuing an interesting story.
Stylistically, director of photography Dominic Fryer intertwines low-fi on-the-ground footage with realistic recreations, engagingly shot interviews, and roaming views of American vistas, while music by Rodi Kirkcaldy and Florian Zwietnig that reuses parts of Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color soundtrack offers the perfect air of unease; however the jaw-dropping information exposed and the emotions it evokes Tickled‘s primary focus. Expect plenty of both, as Farrier and Reeve cycle through everything from anger to nervous hilarity to sadness and back again, and make plain both mind-boggling specifics and universal realities in the process.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Tickled
Directors: David Farrier and Dylan Reeve
New Zealand, 2016, 92 mins
Rating: 15+
Sydney Film Festival
www.sff.org.au
8-19 June
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