Overlook 2023 Film Festival – New Zealand filmmaker/investigative journalist David Farrier made a name for himself by covering all things weird. He hosted Dark Tourist on Netflix about strange and unusual places. Meanwhile, his 2016 documentary, Tickled, focused on a mysterious online tickling competition. His latest documentary, Mister Organ, centers on a soul-sucking fellow by the name of Michael Organ, a subject that nearly proves to be too much for the filmmaker. Farrier’s latest evokes a unique sort of dread as he tries to figure out who exactly Michael Organ is and why so many people have had horrible experiences with him.
Farrier first becomes aware of Organ after a money/extortion scheme. In short, Farrier learns that anyone who parks in front of a particular antique shop often ends up with a boot on their car. The shop owner then demands that the driver pay an exorbitant amount of money to have it removed. Some drivers also find their car blocked by a tow truck, driven by none other than Mr. Organ. After this, Farrier decides to investigate, because, as he puts it, a “weird kind of mess” is just his thing. The rest of the documentary includes interviews with Organ’s previous roommates, family members, and others who knew him at one point in time. None of them have anything positive to say about him. In fact, one former roommate recalls a dispute she had with him involving receipts. She claims that he hit her in the head several times.
Farrier does interview Organ a few times, and the interactions between the two are wide-ranging in terms of Organ’s temperament. At very rare times, he’s semi-friendly and jovial. Other times, he’s downright aggressive in front of the camera and seems to get off on belittling the filmmaker. Yet, Farrier admits that it seems likely Organ wants to be the subject of a movie. This also poses an ethical dilemma. If someone is so awful as people claim, should he be the focus of a film?
A little past the halfway point, the filmmaker questions why he’s still bothering making this documentary. He says he has to pay a “soul tax” whenever he talks to Organ, and Farrier’s frustration becomes quite visible in front of the camera. He simply can’t piece together the true story about Organ, and instead, goes in circles. It gets to the point where the viewer will wonder why anyone would want to make a film about this guy, since by all accounts, he’s the biggest jerk in New Zealand. Even the interactions between Farrier and Organ become exhausting to watch, due to the constant back and forth and psychological warfare. Still, there’s something weirdly fascinating about the story and Farrier’s noble determination to uncover the truth about this guy, if that’s even possible.
The biggest takeaway from Mister Organ is to stay away from Michael Organ if ever in New Zealand. He comes across like a total energy-sucking vampire uneasy to shake until he finds his next victim. This documentary elicits unease and anxiety because of its very peculiar subject.
6.5 Out of 10
