New documentary ‘Manhood’ is a must-watch

By Cameron Scheetz

They called it “Penisgate.”

Last month, at the Milan Winter Olympics, rumors spread that male ski jumpers were injecting their members with hyaluronic acid in order to pump up their girthiness, which in turn would increase the surface area of their suits, and therefore lead to a better performance.

Preposterous as it sounds, science apparently tells us that even an extra centimeter or two of ski suit material could allow them to “fly’ through the air for longer periods of time, upping their chances for a better score. Jury’s still out on whether or not the enhancements improved their performance in bed though…

And while we might be inclined to dismiss something like Penisgate as a “news of the weird” oddity that came & went, it’s really just the tip (pun intended) of the iceberg of a rapidly growing trend with reach far beyond the world of athletics: Cosmetic penis enlargment.

Yep, it’s more common than you think. And a buzzy new documentary just premiered at SXSW that follows one doctor who believes the procedure will soon be as ordinary as Botox.

Produced by World Of Wonder (the same team that brings you Drag Race!), Manhood comes from journalist & filmmaker Daniel Lambroso, whose past doc features have focused on the high-risk Brazilian Butt-Lifts (You’ll Be Happier) & how male fragility gave way to the white nationalist movement (White Noise), so this is a story he’s very well-suited to tell.

The focal point of the film is Dallas-based doctor & entrepreneur Bill Moore. He’s an avid practitioner of the PhalloFill program, which uses hyaluronic acid injections to increase not the length but the circumference of men’s members. And with his own patented PhalloSleeve technology, he hopes to take this thing mainstream.

While Manhood ushers in a number of perspectives on the procedure, from Moore’s various clients to a rival doctor whose work has made him the subject of some malpractice suits, it hones in on two particular patients, whose reasons for seeking out medical enlargement tell us an awful lot about the world we’re living in today.

On one hand, there’s Ruben, a straight, married, father of five who’s become a regular of Dr. Moore’s. A self-professed Joe Rogan fan, he’s pumped thousands of dollars into semi-regular injections, and while he doesn’t give a straightforward explanation as to why, we can fill in the blanks and understand that this might just have something to do with the current “manosphere” and its emphasis on traditional signifiers of manliness above all else.

Then there’s David, a young, fit nursing student from a conservative town who still hasn’t told his family that he’s gay—or that he had a super popular OnlyFans page. As he racked up followers, he became more and more insecure about his size, so he underwent another doctor’s botched procedure that left him with what’s described as “the penis of an alien” before turning to Moore for help.

By the way, you’re probably wondering: How much of all of this are we actually seeing? Well, Manhood isn’t shy about showing us the good, the bad, and the mangled of Moore’s clients, nor does the camera turn away when it’s time for the injections.

In a rather hilarious disclaimer from their review of the film, Hollywood Reporter critic Daniel Feinberg lays it all out:

“Manhood is not coy. Manhood contains a whole lot of dicks. Manhood is not a documentary that you should ever consider watching on an airplane or with elderly conservative relatives. I would say it’s a bad movie to see on a first date, but I don’t know you or your taste in significant others,” he writes. “Oh and probably it’s not a good movie to watch while eating—not because penises are necessarily good or bad accompaniments for a meal, but because enhancement means surgery and surgery means needles and surgery means botched surgery.”

So, your mileage may vary depending on your squeamishness. But the doc is already being praised for its “decidedly non-invasive, nonjudgmental” exploration of these people and these procedures, so says IndieWire‘s Ryan Lattanzio.

And apparently that extends to what these gentlemen get up to outside of the doctor’s office. For example, at one point, Dr. Moore winds up asking David to be third for him & his partner, and the trio are later shown to be sharing a hotel bed together.

Now, we’re pretty sure that crosses some ethical lines between doctor and patient but, again, Manhood‘s not here to judge—it’s simply here to drop trou on the myths & mysteries around this enlargement procedure that’s becoming more & more commonplace by the day.

There’s no word yet on if & when you might be able to see the film for yourself (it’s still seeking U.S. distribution), but the fact that all reviews featured on RottenTomatoes after its SXSW premiere are positive is a good sign for its future.

Because, admit it: you’re curious to check out Manhood. And even if you’re not right now, it just might grow on you…

Source: https://www.queerty.com/manhood-doc-explores-just-how-far-guys-will-go-for-a-bigger-package-20260319/