The Tickle King

"The Tickle King" is a 2016 fast-paced and provocative documentary from David Farrier – a journalist who is known for seeking out the strange and unusual. This 20-minute follow-up film provides added, detailed material on the disturbing Competitive Endurance Tickling industry spearheaded by David D'Amato, a person who has done everything possible to preserve his anonymity.

The film opens up with New Zealand-based, television and print journalist David Farrier, co-directing the show with co-producer Dylan Reeve. David Farrier is a vivacious character, famous for covering light-hearted and quirky stories. His adventurous streak leads him to stumble upon an online tickling competition video – a strikingly odd activity, but seemingly harmless. Intrigued by this peculiar content, he decides to delve deeper into understanding the phenomenon, little realizing that this moment would embark him on a journey of uncovering hidden demand and supply for such strange fetishes.

The 'Tickle King' quickly turns intense as Farrier, pursuing the story, learns about a corporation run by some "Terri Tickle" that sponsors these competitive tickling events. What's even more odd, these wealthy sponsors seem hellbent on keeping and rendering these young men powerless under their "tickling empire." His curiosity triggered by the illogical hostility from the organization when he tried to investigate the bizarre phenomenon, Farrier decides to confront this hidden industry fearlessly, with the whole narrative captured in this film.

Co-director Dylan Reeve is equally vital to the story's progression, himself being a tech expert. Reeve uses his skills to unearth the real individuals behind the pseudonymous sponsors, giving Farrier the capability to seek some confrontations that bring a raw reality and aggressiveness to the gloss of traditional journalism.

An electrifying part of the film is the profile of the titular 'Tickle King,' David D'Amato, a retired New York lawyer, a central figure in the film, who seemingly has an absolute obsession with tickling young adult males. His portrayal comes across as an imposing villain, with echoes of psychological manipulation and obvious power play. He uses his accumulated wealth for creating this industry from where he gains pleasure by physically controlling others in a surreal, non-sexual but embarrassingly private way.

The real essence of the film does not lie in the reveling of strange obsessions, but in Farrier's journalistic struggle and power of resistance — against antagonistic reactions, legal threats, boycott attempts, public humiliation, and disrespectful dismissal of his sexual orientation. To see the control drama unfold, realizing the unhealthy dynamics between poverty-stricken players ready to be subjected to any bizarre fetishes for money, and controlling, aged men with unsettling desire, is an alarm bell for our societal condition. No stone is left unturned as it seeks to expose these dark corners of the internet, leading to a climax that forces you to reconsider the depths humans are willing to stoop for control, power and pleasure.

To sum it up, "The Tickle King" provides a disturbing glimpse into the world of power, control, and strange fixations. What begins as a comical farce quickly descends into an eerie investigation filled with unexpected turns, shocking revelations, and persisting intrigue. The film upholds its bizarre sense of humor and irony but doesn't shy away from showcasing the viewer's deep-seated cyber abuse, manipulation, privacy concerns, and exploitation. Farrier's naivety disappears as the pall of fear, threat, and menace sets in, and the true horror of "The Tickle King" begins to emerge, leaving audiences astonished, amused, and deeply concerned about the lengths to which some people will go to satisfy their dark desires.