‘The Contestant’ Trailer: An Aspiring Comedian Becomes the Subject of a Stranger-Than-Fiction Surreal Experiment

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
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Hulu documentary “The Contestant” is putting “The Truman Show” to shame.

Centered on the shocking true story of Japanese comedian Tomoaki “Nasubi” Hamatsu, the feature is written and directed by Clair Titley. “The Contestant” charts the early days of reality TV in the 1990s, with Nasubi an unknowing participant in a twisted reality show. Nasubi was trapped alone and naked in an apartment for 15 months with cameras surrounding him as he fulfilled tasks like entering magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing. The show was watched by more than 15 million people and titled “Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes.”

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Per the official synopsis for “The Contestant,” 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 to win what he needed to survive — food, clothing, appliances — until he reached the prize goal of one million yen in 1998.

Although Nasubi could have left at any time, he stayed for months to complete his mission. He was cut off from all contact with his family and the world except for occasional interactions with Tsuchiya. And without his knowledge or consent, Nasubi became the most famous television personality in Japan.

Writer/director Titley is behind “This American Life.” “The Contestant,” narrated by Fred Armisen and Takehiro Hira, premiered at TIFF 2023 and later screened at DOC NYC. The film later landed at Hulu.

“The Contestant” is produced by Andee Ryder, Megumi Inman, and Ian Bonhôte for Misfits Entertainment and Amit Dey for MRC. Rachel Meyrick and Katie Bryer edited the film, which features original music by Nainita Desai. Mikul Villaluna Eriksson is the director of photography.

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.

“The Contestant” premieres May 2 on Hulu. Check out the trailer below.

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