Skip to main content

Deep Dive: Feels Good Man (2020)

Play Trailer

Film Lens

Feels Good Man
Feels Good Man is a documentary about Pepe the Frog, created by artist Matt Furie. The film follows Furie's efforts to reclaim Pepe from the alt-right, who have appropriated the character for hate speech. It examines the transformation of Pepe from a comic character in Furie's MySpace comic, Boy's Club, to a viral meme and a symbol of division. The film raises questions about the potential for redemption of a character that has been misused by extremist groups. Directed by Arthur Jones, the film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won a U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker. It also touches on the use of Pepe by pro-democracy demonstrators during the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, illustrating the complex relationship between art, culture, and political movements.

Why Watch

  • •See Matt Furie's fight to reclaim Pepe the Frog.
  • •Find out how Pepe became a symbol for hate.
  • •Meet the artist behind a viral meme.

Did You Know

•The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
•Feels Good Man won a U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Emerging Filmmaker.
•Matt Furie created Pepe the Frog for his comic Boy's Club on MySpace.
•The film has a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 81 reviews.
•It was broadcast on BBC Four in October 2020 as part of its Storyville series.

Perfect For

Internet cultureMeme historyPolitical symbolism