[04/09/24 - 10:01 AM] Video: Trailer & Key Art Debut - Hulu Original Documentary "The Contestant" This true story of a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing, prompts innumerable questions about our culture of oversharing.
[via press release from Hulu]
TRAILER & KEY ART DEBUT: Hulu Original Documentary THE CONTESTANT
The incredible true story will premiere Thursday, May 2, only on Hulu.
SYNOPSIS: This true story of a Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing, prompts innumerable questions about our culture of oversharing.
Before the onslaught of reality television in the West, there was an ominous harbinger in Japan of what was to come in our oversharing-obsessed culture. "The Contestant" traces the experience of aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi, who unwittingly became an extreme case study.
In 1998, Nasubi thought he was attending an audition when a successful Japanese TV producer, Toshio Tsuchiya, enlisted him to take part in a challenge. Tsuchiya led Nasubi into a room, ordered him to strip naked and left him with a stack of magazines. Nasubi's task was to fill out contest coupons in order to win what he needed to survive - food, clothing, appliances, etc. - until he reached the prize goal of one million yen.
Although Nasubi could have left at any time, he stayed for months with a fierce determination to complete his mission. He was cut off from all contact with his family and the world except for occasional interactions with Tsuchiya.
What Nasubi didn't realize was that his experiences were being broadcast to over 15 million people in a TV show called "Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes." Without his knowledge or consent, Nasubi became the most famous television personality in Japan.
While parts of Nasubi's infamy have been recounted before on YouTube and "This American Life," director Clair Titley and producer Megumi Inman bring a revelatory depth of insight by interviewing Nasubi, Tsuchiya, and others close to them. The filmmakers explore further twists in Nasubi's life after "Denpa Shonen" to deliver one of the most WTF stories of the year.
CREDITS: "The Contestant" is written and directed by Clair Titley. The film is produced by Megumi Inman, Andee Ryder and Ian Bonhôte for Misfits Entertainment, and Amit Dey for MRC. Fred Armisen narrates, along with Takehiro Hira. The film is edited by Rachel Meyrick and Katie Bryer, with original music by Nainita Desai. The director of photography is Mikul Villaluna Eriksson.
[03/04/26 - 08:01 AM] Video: "Age of Attraction" - Official Trailer - Netflix Age is thrown out the window when singles search for their soulmates in this dating series. Is love truly ageless, or will the years come between them?
[03/04/26 - 08:01 AM] Video: "Last One Laughing UK" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Prime Video Season 2, starring Bob Mortimer, Alan Carr, Diane Morgan, Romesh Ranganathan, Mel Giedroyc, David Mitchell, Maisie Adam, Sam Campbell, Gbemisola Ikumelo, and Amy Gledhill, arrives to Prime Video on March 19.
[03/04/26 - 05:01 AM] Video: "The Giant Falls" - Official Trailer - Netflix When his long-lost father resurfaces, a tour guide must navigate old wounds and confront a choice that will define both of their futures.
[03/04/26 - 04:31 AM] Video: "Made in Korea" - Official Trailer - Netflix A woman from a small town in Tamil Nadu moves to South Korea - a place she always dreamed of - but struggles to find her footing in a foreign land.
[03/03/26 - 04:01 PM] Video: "Bloodhounds 2" - Official Teaser - Netflix Two young boxers gear up for another fight when a global syndicate running an illegal boxing league targets them and puts their loved ones at risk.
