Louis Theroux’s best documentaries and where to watch in Australia
For much of the last 30 years, documentarian Louis Theroux has been exploring the lives of disgraced celebrities, white supremacists, fanatics, and oddballs on the fringes of mainstream society. Their subjects range from flamboyant “tiger king” Joe Exotic and pedophile Jimmy Savile to ordinary people who have lost control of their lives, from religious fundamentalists in America’s backwaters to Zionists leading the illegal settler movement in the West Bank.
He did this in a style that was both distinctive and distinctive; he presents himself as an awkward, nerdy interlocutor who gently steps into the lives and secrets of his subjects. He seems endlessly curious and empathetic about people and the worlds they inhabit, no matter how offensive, disturbing, or unconventional their views and professions may be. His goal is to better understand what makes them tick and to portray them not as performers of a freak show—though some do it for themselves—but as products of a world that is not always just, fair, and equitable.
Unlike many in the industry, he does little more than examine his own journalistic and ethical practices, often returning to people and subjects for follow-up documentaries that review or correct the record.
Inside the ManosphereHis latest work was seen as a departure of sorts for the 55-year-old artist. Produced for Netflix after a career based almost entirely on the BBC, the film explored a handful of young male social media figures who have created large audiences and even greater fortunes by espousing dangerous ideas about masculinity and gender roles. manosphere He may have expanded his profile and following, but his topics and themes remain in Theroux’s wheelhouse. HStikkytokky, Myron Gaines, and Sneako are the latest members of a gallery of delusional individuals who sell and practice dubious lifestyles and ideologies in exchange for money and influence.
Did you say Netflix? There may be some irony here for anyone who has followed Theroux’s career. One of Theroux’s most notable films was shot after 2020’s Tiger Kinguntil recently it was Netflix’s biggest show of all time, raising critical questions about how it twisted a soon-to-be-convicted criminal into a misunderstood folk hero who even deserved a presidential pardon.
But as this survey of Theroux’s best films reveals, their relevance and viewing pleasure aren’t limited to news cycles or fads. They invite us to consider the issues at hand in ways we might not otherwise do.
Louis and the Brothel (2003, Stan*)
In the first of more than 30 one-hour specials Theroux is making for the BBC, he visits a new legal brothel in Nevada. Cue Benny Hill-esque laughs, but there’s nothing of the sort as he uncovers the backstories of Wild Horse Ranch’s workers, owners and customers. Everyone in Louis Theroux’s universe has a story to tell, and none more so than sex worker Hayley. pas de deux With the filmmaker putting them both in a strange ethical corner. It’s more lighthearted than his later films, but it doesn’t shy away from the moral complexities and bizarre transactions that form the basis of sex work.
America’s Most Hated Family (2007, Stan)
It is necessary to take a few mental steps to understand the complaints of the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, which came to prominence by organizing protests at the funerals of American sailors killed in the line of duty. Theirs is a particularly disgusting and angry form of homophobia and racism; They blame all the wrongs in the world on anyone who dares to even consider the idea of tolerance. But it’s the way the cult’s families indoctrinate their children that leads Theroux to engage in some harrowing conflicts. The two sequels explore the dissolution of one of the church’s key families.
Los Angeles Stories (2014, Stan)
Consisting of three independent episodes (not all of which are available on local broadcasters), Among Sex Criminals It explores Theroux’s enduring interest in the concept of second chances and rehabilitation. Here, Theroux spends time with a handful of men and women convicted of sex crimes and paroled as they negotiate their lives on the fringes of Los Angeles society, where their rights are restricted and their movements monitored. Arguably the most compelling and confronting film Theroux has made, it is a lump-in-your-throat watch.
savile (2016, Stan)
When the shady dealings of once-loved TV star Jimmy Savile come to light after him death in 2011he was often said to hide in plain sight. As a matter of fact, when Theroux shot his first film about Savile in 2000, he only talked about the strange behavior he witnessed. Sixteen years later and drawing extensively from earlier material, Theroux tries to understand what he missed and what he can do to uncover it. Savile’s heinous crimes. savile This is more than just coming to terms with one man’s pedophilia; It gets to the heart of how people in positions of power, prestige and wealth can project an “air of intolerability” to insulate and protect themselves.
Shooting Joe Exotic (2021, ABC iview, Stan)
as it is savileTheroux embarks on his own reckoning in this timely response. Tiger King The craze that swept the world in 2000. Theroux first filmed the self-styled zookeeper and lowlife known as Joe Exotic in 2011. America’s Most Dangerous Pets. In snippets from the previous film, it becomes clear that Joe and his followers were extremely stubborn and Theroux may not have investigated as thoroughly as he could have. Theroux isn’t in the habit of throwing rocks, but the film is uncomfortable with what it’s like to throw rocks. Tiger King He misrepresented animal rights activist Carole Baskin, whom Joe planned to kill and is currently in prison.
settlers (2025, ABC appearance)
In all his films, Theroux prefers interaction over confrontation, even in the cat-and-mouse genre; But there are at least two chilling moments in this latest film about the settler movement in Israel where his approach is tested. One is when a soldier asks the film crew to stop shooting in Hebron, and the other is when he meets Daniella Weiss, the hot puppet of the settler organization. October 7, 2023 and the chilling tensions following the military occupation of Gaza settlers as it conveys irreconcilable divisions of disputed occupied territory.
*Stan belongs to Nine, the publisher of this imprint.
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