The Truman Show is often regarded as the ultimate satirical look at American reality culture and the lengths we go for entertainment, whether it be morally reprehensible or otherwise. However, the show within the film might not be as outlandish as one might have assumed.
The Contestant, a new documentary out of the Toronto International Film Festival coming to Hulu on May 2nd, follows a Truman-like figure who dealt with an insurmountable task in order to satisfy Japanese television viewers. Nasubi, real name Tomoaki Hamatsu, was a wannabe comedian who, in 1998, “won” the opportunity to be secluded from society, only able to survive using the items he won through magazine contests. He was left naked and only left with magazines and postcards.
This “experiment,” led by television producer Toshio Tsuchiya, had Nasubi in isolation for one year and three months, broadcasting him on the successful television program Denpa Shonen without his knowledge or consent.
The film navigates the producer’s tyrannical control over Nasubi’s life, continuing to use his likeness in a myriad of ways he never agreed to (such as revolutionary live streams on the internet), and Nasubi coping with the year-long isolation that was ruining his ability to be human. While viewers now watch Nasubi go through over a year of insanity, health concerns, and suicidal thoughts, what was delivered to television viewers back in 1998 was an over-the-top, technicolor wonder of a weirdo.
Interviews through the series with Nasubi, his family, and the producer Tsuchiya, show the compassion (or lack thereof) that goes into creating a television nightmare. The lack of remorse from Tsuchiya was remarkable, and when the documentary begins to show Nasubi’s philanthropic years post-Denpa Shonen, the way he still sees Nasubi as his “greatest achievement” is a marvel of documentary filmmaking. Seeing Tsuchiya call himself a “devil” with a glimmer in his eye? A true look into the psyche of someone without any regard for others. To bring The Truman Show back into the equation, it’s Ed Harris live and in the flesh.
Meanwhile, the way Nasubi has made his life’s mission to help others, especially after the way he received 15 months of experiencing the worst in people, is a personal achievement I’m not sure many other human beings could achieve themselves. His work with earthquake relief efforts and a push to bring his hometown into the minds of those who can help the rural area? An unexpectedly profound coda within a documentary about reality television.
Director Clair Titley chronologically gives this story the right amount of care and pairs it with just enough context to let the viewer view the story from both the late 90s Japanese audience and the inner-workings of a man being broadcast as he goes mad.
The Contestant is a dive into our televised past, the idea of ratings gimmicks, and hopefully, a cautionary tale about how we should broadcast humans to the outside world. History is already repeating itself as we dive further into the 21st century, but here’s hoping Nasubi’s story can be seen as a self-reflective piece. In today’s media landscape, we are often complicit viewers. We need to look inward to see just how toxic, untrue, and unbeneficial what we consume is for ourselves and the other parties involved. The Contestant might cover 1998, but its parallels to 2024 are just as shocking.
The Contestant stream May 2nd exclusively on Hulu.
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