‘Manhood’ documentary presents a cautionary tale about penis enlargement
Who doesn’t want a bigger penis? Out gay Bill Moore, the designer and developer of PhalloFILL, promises more girth (not length) through dermal filler injections. (Pricing starts at $2,500-$4,000). As the provocative dick documentary “Manhood” shows, Moore’s business is booming, and it helps men gain confidence and feel BDE, “Big Dick Energy.” Director Daniel Lombroso’s … Read More
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Who doesn’t want a bigger penis? Out gay Bill Moore, the designer and developer of PhalloFILL, promises more girth (not length) through dermal filler injections. (Pricing starts at $2,500-$4,000). As the provocative dick documentary “Manhood” shows, Moore’s business is booming, and it helps men gain confidence and feel BDE, “Big Dick Energy.”
Director Daniel Lombroso’s film is full of phallic imagery as he profiles Moore as well as two of his patients, Ruben Ramirez, a straight father of five, and David Smith, a gay man. There are scenes of Moore in his offices consulting with these and other patients, scenes of medical operations, testimonies from clients, as well as commentaries from men who regret having work done on their penis. (There are also some graphic images of botched procedures that justly come with a warning.)
But “Manhood” is as much about the mental health of these men than it about the size of their members. They all feel anxiety, depression, and shame and seek medical solutions to improve their lives. That provides the emotional component of the film and what makes the subjects sympathetic.
Moore is a consumer of augmentation himself; late in the film he rattles off all the work he has had done on his own body and he repeatedly mentions through the film that he wants to get a nose job to improve his profile. His penis is seen early on in the film post-shower. It is not clear if he uses PhalloFILL, but he says in voiceover that he wants to help insecure men who fixate on the size of their penis for their unhappiness.
One of these men is Ruben Ramirez, who is a repeat customer of Moore’s, and whose enhanced penis is described as being “some of the best work Moore has ever done” because it looks “God given.” Ramirez may be happy with this penis, but his life is downbeat otherwise. When he can’t afford to live in his home in Texas, he and his current wife and three kids to go live with his ex and her two kids (by Ruben) in Arizona. It is disheartening to hear about him spending big money on penile injections, when his family finances are so strained. Ramirez also talks about sexual abuse he suffered as a kid, which provides some context for his low self-esteem. He performs standup comedy as a coping mechanism, but snippets of him joking about topics such as kidnapping are awkward and cringy. However, he gets laughs from a small crowd when he jokes about his penis.
The other case study in “Manhood” is equally depressing. As a teenager in Florida, David Smith decided to get fillers in his penis by visiting a Dr. Loria. He experienced bad side effects (cue graphic photo) and sought out Bill Moore to help him. Moore provides him with a doctor who can help remove some of the fillers that are dangerous to be in his body, which is encouraging.
Smith is embarrassed to have thought he had a small penis that needed enlarging. He is more embarrassed to have had the procedure go badly — and still even more embarrassed to have to get his dick fixed. Not out to his religious/conservative parents, David created an OnlyFans account to make money, and it comes as no surprise that David was outed to his family. He works at trying to reconnect with his mom, who is unaware of his medical situation.
David’s story gets even more complicated when he becomes romantically involved with Moore and his partner Clint. Their throuple’s relationship is not discussed in the film, but it is presented as the three men visit Fire Island or are seen leaving the same hotel room. The ethics of this, which is questionable, also goes unmentioned. (Clint is barely introduced in the doc, a missed opportunity perhaps). But Moore is very caring towards David attending to him as he gets the surgery he wants and needs.
“Manhood” is a difficult sit as these stories play out, but Lombroso wisely does not judge these men or their decisions. An interview with Dr. Loria about side effects for his procedures is revealing, not only because he denies responsibility in David’s case, but because a sign indicates he opted out of carrying medical malpractice insurance (as Florida law allows).
The film briefly talks about the profits in this industry, which has become big business. Moore has expanded his clinic that originated in a Dallas strip mall to more than 30 locations across the country, and he certainly looks like he lives well.
Ultimately, “Manhood” comes across as both a 90-minute infomercial for PhalloFILL as well as a cautionary tale about the physical and financial damage the can come with penis enlargement.
“Manhood” | Directed by Daniel Lombroso | Opening October 30 at the Village East by Angelika | Distributed by World of Wonder
