The Most Hated Man on the Internet

By making the conflict between Laws and Moore the central drive of the series, ‘Most Hated Man’ succeeds mainly in showcasing just how terrible Moore was and how determined Laws could be. Charlotte’s scorched earth approach to taking down Moore is both fascinating and infinitely watchable. But, by flattening the narrative to a simple narrative of good versus evil, the implications of Moore’s behavior go largely unexplored.

In the grand scheme of the internet, the most hated man on the internet burned out quickly. And that’s the core of the flaw of Rob Miller’s docuseries—a failure to place what Moore did in the larger context of what came before and, more importantly, what came after.

Netflix has enjoyed considerable success with a certain vaguely sleazy subgenre of docuseries -- "The Tinder Swindler" and "Our Father" among them -- and "The Most Hated Man on the Internet" falls squarely within that wheelhouse.

The docuseries’ three hourlong episodes go by quickly, thanks to its streamlined storytelling and brisk pacing, and it delivers on both the white-hot outrage and the grim satisfaction promised by the downfall of a dude who really had it coming. But The Most Hated Man on the Internet falls short of the ambition needed to lend it real, lasting heft.