If you thought documentaries were all serious faces and dramatic music, meet the plot twist: a passive-aggressive Google graph and a petty flex that belongs in group chat history.

What the documentary is actually about

Louis Theroux’s new film, Into the Manosphere, is now on Netflix. It pokes around the world of male influencers who promise young men life-changing "cheat codes" and occasionally veer into very extreme opinions. Expect interviews with names like HSTikkyTokky, Ed Matthews, Myron Gaines, Justin Waller, and Sneako — basically the usual suspects in that corner of the internet.

Why Andrew Tate said ‘no thanks’

Theroux tried to get the biggest name in that scene to appear: Andrew Tate. He says he messaged Tate and Tristan a lot during filming. Tate allegedly floated a fee, saying maybe he’d show up if he got paid. Louis stuck to principle: he wasn’t going to pay for interviews. Tate then went with the classic humble-brag move - sending over a Google Trends-style graph to prove he was more searched, more talked about, and therefore more important.

The graph duel

  • Tate’s line: a big, blue mountain.
  • Theroux’s line: a tiny, flat red line so unimpressive it felt like a shrug.

According to Louis, Tate’s message basically said: "I’m blue. You’re red." Translation: I’m relevant, you’re not. Ruthless. A bit dramatic. Very 2020s.

Theroux’s comeback — petty but effective

Enter Romesh Ranganathan, who pointed out that maybe the flat red line simply meant people already know who Louis is. That’s a gentle clapback. Louis went full savage. He later noticed a glitch where his red line briefly popped above Tate’s blue one. He took a screenshot, circled it, and messaged back: "I’m literally more relevant than you are."

So yes, the documentary ended up with the subject looming large in conversation but not showing up on camera. And Louis got to end the exchange by flexing a tiny victory screenshot. It’s like watching a documentary and a roast at the same time.

Bottom line

Into the Manosphere is on Netflix now if you want to see the wider cast and hear more about why these influencers attract young men with quick-fix life advice. And if you were waiting for Tate to star in the film: he declined, and the internet’s favorite pastime — clashing over who’s more relevant — did the rest.

Also, never underestimate the power of a screenshot. It ages well.