Director Rob Miller peppers the docuseries with testimonials from those whose privacy was breached, using words like “violated” and “humiliated,” as well as law-enforcement officials who — armed with revelations about photos being hacked and not merely provided by angry exes — were eventually able to pursue charges against Moore. The producers approximated the photos with help from willing participants on an adult website to illustrate how intrusive and explicit they were.
“The Most Hated Man on the Internet” primarily resonates as a cautionary tale about Internet trolling from an early practitioner and self-proclaimed “professional life ruiner.”
The most disturbing aspect of the story, meanwhile, might be the rabid nature of Moore’s online followers, which included not only hounding those on the site by leveling threats against Laws and others who might speak out. Again, it feels like a precursor to the armies of fans some personalities command, and the way the Web can magnify even tiny constituencies with a digital megaphone.
Like some of those projects, this one offers a sense of catharsis and uplift in Laws’ determination to see justice done. As for the fact that the title is devoted to the troll, consider that squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease dynamic a sign of the times, both then and now.
“The Most Hated Man on the Internet” premieres July 27 on Netflix.
