Feels Good Man (2020 Film)

About

Feels Good Man (2020 Film) is a documentary directed by Arthur Jones on the life cycle of Pepe the Frog and creator Matt Furie's attempt to reclaim his character after it became a political symbol for far-right groups. The film was widely praised upon release, winning the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker at the Sundance Film Festival.

History

The film is Arthur Jones' first feature documentary.^[1] It follows Matt Furie, the creator of Pepe the Frog as he wrestles with the new hyper-politicized form his character took on. On January 10th, 2020, the Sundance Institute uploaded an interview with Jones explaining the film (shown below).

Reception

The film was well received critically, winning the 2020 award for U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker.^[2] The film has received high praise from critics, scoring a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[3] Nick Allen for RogerEbert.com^[4] called the film, "a beacon of internet literacy about a whole new language--that memes are flexible, omnipotent, and pieces of a phenomenon more powerful than their creators." Writing in IndieWire,^[5] David Ehlrich wrote, "This isn’t just the definitive story of a perma-stoned frog who just likes to do what 'feels good man,' it’s also an expansive forensic look at the life cycle of an idea, a warp-speed analysis of internet sociology, and a harrowingly modern fable about innocence lost."

Search Interest

External References