The title “Tickled” sums up the entire movie pretty well: “It’s not what you think.”
The opening of the movie lays the peculiar foundation of David Ferrier, a New Zealander journalist who is intrigued by competitive endurance tickling. After finding some videos of young men tickling each other on mainstream social media sites, Ferrier knew he had something of public interest.
What he didn’t know, however, is how deep the “tickling wormhole” got.
After a little digging, Ferrier realizes the phenomenon is connected across multiple websites and multiple companies. He wrote a blog post with his findings, and some publicity and discussion followed both in New Zealand and the United States.
The movie is a story of the bizarre leading to the sinister. What began as a simple blog post about a strange, somewhat comical sport soon leads to revelations about privacy, the justice system, exploitation and power.
Companies that bought videos of people participating in the odd sport shift the focus of the film to the larger topics of how to protect privacy while prosecuting actions that endanger society.
The tone of the film follows the revelations accordingly, as those laughing uncontrollably are interviewed and retell their somber stories of these companies trying to ruin their lives through online propaganda.
The film follows themes of privacy and the ability of dark secrets to follow someone online. Both those who were blackmailed by the companies and the secrets of the companies uncovered by journalists exemplify the positive and negative sides of the internet’s memory.
For that reason, this film is a wakeup call to those of us with less-than-stellar online privacy habits.
Unfortunately, that’s one of the only relatable subjects of the film. While the film does focus on college students, their circumstance is rare and not very relatable. The focus is on the novelty of the situation more than an emotional connection with the viewer.
This gets to the heart of the documentary: a mildly informative, entertaining film that is unlikely to change the audience in many ways.
The cinematography is interesting and varied, including some well-thought-out metaphors that the team encountered as it was investigating.
The pacing of the film keeps it interesting, as crucial information is revealed at just the right moments, keeping the audience engaged throughout the film. New characters are revealed only in key moments, allowing the viewer to understand and appreciate each individual’s part in the fullness of the story.
For example, some journalists who have been investigating these companies for years are revealed only when their information reveals a new aspect of the narrative, mounting suspense until the final outcomes.
The way the interviews, chronological events and research is compiled provides a single, focused story, allowing the audience members to draw conclusions about the implications of the story for themselves.
While “Tickled” is entertaining, interesting and oddly captivating, it is unlikely to change the way its audience members perceive large aspects of their lives, as legendary documentaries do.
