Voyeur

2017 1h 36min

Available on Netflix

This documentary has two subjects. The first is Gerald Foos, a voyeur who secretly observed guests at his motel. Foos built an observation platform above the motel’s rooms and spent decades spying on guests through fake ceiling air vents. In violating the privacy of his guests, Foos witnesses their unmanaged backstage selves in addition to sexual acts, heated arguments, and even a murder. Even more intriguing, Foos considers this to be his “research”. We see Foos candidly discuss his method of voyeurism and brag about the perverse details of his observations, all free from consequence since the statute of limitations has long expired. Yet we only know of Guy Foos thanks to Gay Talese, an iconic literary journalist and the second primary focus of this documentary. Talese began collaborating with Foos in the 1980s, and we get a behind-the-scenes look into the publishing process of Talese’s latest book, “The Voyeur’s Motel”. Throughout the documentary, Talese reflects on journalistic standards, ethics, and his role in exposing the voyeur. Needless to say, Talese knew of Foos’ criminal activity for years and did nothing to prevent the continued victimization of the motel guests. Regardless, the audience is treated to a trilling journey of ethical conundrums, plot twists, and raw deviant behavior.

Sociological themes include: Deviance, research ethics, issues of consent and privacy, the role of the researcher, credibility and objectivity, power, and the media...