Tickled
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: June 17, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
27
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The PlaylistKatie WalshJun 20, 2016
It’s a fascinating look not only at this particular character and his wide reach, but at the evolution of the Internet, its utopian possibilities for connection, and the dark side of its power to expose and harm individuals within the system. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyJun 15, 2016
David Farrier and Dylan Reeve’s documentary Tickled is so crazy that it feels like a hoax. Only it’s not. At least, I don’t think it is. Read full review
90
Screen DailyLee MarshallMay 9, 2016
Tickled is unexpectedly compelling, alternately painful and funny and deeply sad. Read full review
90
VarietyDennis HarveyMay 9, 2016
An alarming cautionary tale about how easy it is in the Internet age to ruin people’s lives while hiding behind a cloak of anonymity, the pic boasts a humorously titillating entry hook that soon gives way to engrossing conspiracy-thriller-like content. Read full review
83
ConsequenceCollin BrennanJun 15, 2016
Tickled unfolds like a bad drug trip, starting off with giggles but quickly descending into surreal horror. Read full review
80
Total FilmStephen PuddicombeDec 20, 2016
Farrier doesn’t overlook the amusing oddness of such a strange corner of the internet, but treats the subjects of the videos respectfully. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonKate LloydAug 15, 2016
The documentary twists and turns like a guy getting his armpits tickled, but its driving force is Farrier’s personal determination to reveal the manipulation of the athletes involved. It’s unexpected and brilliant. Read full review
80
ScreenCrushMatt SingerJun 22, 2016
Tickled is a fantastic film to watch and discuss but it’s almost impossible to write about it, because most of its pleasures come from following Farrier as he tries to find the powerful figure atop the Competitive Endurance Tickling league. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla DargisJun 16, 2016
[Mr. Farrier] and Mr. Reeve see the humor, but they also see the pathos — because it’s all fun and giggles until someone gets hurt. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternJun 16, 2016
What’s most significant, though, is the merciless nature of the cyberbullying, and the terrifying ease with which it’s inflicted. Tickled opens a smudged window on a dark alley of contemporary life. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenMay 9, 2016
In its genial, low-key way, the film, premiering at Sundance, is a chilling account of cyberbullying, perpetrated on a disturbingly wide scale over many years. Read full review
80
The GuardianNigel M SmithMay 9, 2016
The pleasure in watching this documentary is derived from its countless twists. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleJosh KupeckiJul 6, 2016
Tickled doesn’t quite answer all of the questions it brings up, and there’s a nagging feeling that there is much more to this story than portrayed. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniJul 1, 2016
It's fun, exciting, freakish filmmaking. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesJohn HartlJun 30, 2016
Engaging and constantly surprising. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzJun 23, 2016
If you have ever heard of the term “catfishing” – and if you haven’t, I’m impressed and envious – then you’re already one step ahead. Read full review
75
Boston GlobePeter KeoughJun 23, 2016
By the end of Tickled the realm of superficial giggles has long been left behind. Though his lighthearted tone has difficulties keeping up with each new sinister discovery, Farrier has exposed in the least likely setting the network of power and money that preys on the weak with impunity. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJun 23, 2016
It’s oddly worth seeing. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreJun 18, 2016
The helplessness one gets being pinned down and tickled, the chilling fear of that, nicely parallels the chill and fear of reporting a story powerful people don’t want reported, which Farrier shows us in this odd and shocking expose. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyJun 17, 2016
The moviemakers craft a satisfying narrative while leaving the viewer with some questions; this is a movie that manages to be disquieting and entertaining simultaneously. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloJun 15, 2016
All the same, Tickled does shine a much-needed light on that individual’s long history of abusive behavior, which has resulted in only a light slap on the wrist, thanks to inherited wealth and the power it confers. Read full review
70
SalonAndrew O'HehirJun 24, 2016
It seems like it’s more about what happens after the tickling stops, which is also when Tickled stops being hilarious. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghJun 23, 2016
It’s safe to say that Tickled is nothing like what its filmmakers set out to make. That's an artistic blessing. Read full review
70
TheWrapMichael NordineJun 17, 2016
Tickled inspires many laughs throughout but, true to its subject, more and more of them are born of discomfort as it goes on — part of you wants it all to stop even as you’re amused. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangJun 16, 2016
By the end you may feel moderately relieved and more than a little creeped out, but you may also wish that this undeniably compelling documentary had done more than lightly brush the surface. Read full review
63
Washington PostAnn HornadayJun 30, 2016
The story is so nasty, so depraved and troubling, that viewers may well wonder at its value beyond prurient interest. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineMatt BrennanJun 12, 2016
There's no sustained effort to answer the first question any editor or J-school instructor worth his or her salt would ask: So what? Read full review
58
The Film StageDaniel SchindelMay 9, 2016
Tickled too often gets in its own way. Read full review
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