The Pickup Game
Synopsis
It can be a highly lucrative occupation, with many companies earning millions of dollars each year. But, it is also an industry rife with controversy and scandal; several teachers have been deported from countries for their contentious methodologies, and pickup businesses are often the subject of fierce public criticism.
Despite this, men the world over collectively spend hundreds of millions of dollars to attend seminars, download online courses and have one-on-one coaching sessions with instructors they feel can give them the dating life of their dreams. In the minds of students, many of these instructors become more than just teachers - they become idols.
From the glossy exterior, where courses are packaged as self-improvement, to the dark underbelly of sexual assault, pyramid scheme marketing and secret collusion, this documentary pulls back the curtain to reveal a world that is fascinating and horrific in equal measure.
Official Selection Hot Docs 2019 - Making Believe - World premiere
Details
- Year
- 2019
- Type of project
- Features
- Running time
- 96 min
- Format
- 4K
- Director
-
Matthew O'Connor, Barnaby O'Connor
- Producer
- Mike Willoughby, James De Val, William Watson, Matthew O'Connor, Barnaby O'Connor
- Co-Producer
- Giselle Fryatt
- Executive Producer
- William Watson
- Editor
- Matthew O'Connor, Barnaby O'Connor
- Director of Photography
- Vince Knight, Claire Buxton, Tom Webster
- Consulting Producer
- Cassandra Roberts
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
UK, New Zealand co-production
Ivy Film (UK), Two Man Crew Ltd (UK), Voodoo Productions (UK), New Zealand Feature Films (NZ), TMI Pictures (NZ)
Page updates
This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.
See also
You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.
Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean
Director: Barnaby Thompson
Year: 2026
An in-depth study of David Lean, the man and his films. David Lean was one of the greatest filmmakers. He redefined what films could be, but his singular vision and tenacious determination to film the impossible earned him a reputation as an obsessive maverick. He was a master of his craft, capable of creating love and beauty on screen, but whose personal life was often troubled, uprooted, and painful. Featuring interviews with contemporary filmmakers including Wes Anderson, Paul Greengrass, Alfonso Cuarón, Celine Song, Brady Corbet, Francis Ford Coppola, Denis Villeneuve, Nia DaCosta, and Joe Wright. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Cannes Classics - World premiere
TCB - The Toni Cade Bambara School of Organizing
Director: Monica Henriquez, Louis J. Massiah
Year: 2025
Structured as a series of classes in cultural organising, this film reconstructs the life of a woman whose literary works and film collaborations became a catalysing force in 20th century political movements. Toni Morrison, Nikky Finney and filmmaker Haile Gerima are among those who testify to Bambara's humour, fierce commitment to collective action and gift for galvanising artists into community work. Official Selection DOC NYC 2025 - World premiere Official SelectionTrue/False Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2026 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - European premiere
Life Support
Director: Daniele Rugo
Year: 2026
A group of international doctors breach the blockade of Gaza. What they find is the calculated dismantling of life itself. Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2026 - World premiere