Kurt Keppeler and Christian Bruno / Sundance Institute
Welcome to Cheat Sheet, our breakdown-style reviews of festival films, VR previews, and other special event releases. This review comes from the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Years ago, the birth of a meme was cause for celebration. So when Matt Furie’s character Pepe first became famous online, it seemed like a good thing. The easygoing cartoon frog was a shorthand for relatable satisfaction or sadness, particularly on the chaotic message board 4chan. And when a friend urged Furie to crack down on copycat Pepes, he didn’t see the need. This was, after all, the age where everything was a remix.
But the new documentary Feels Good Man, directed by Arthur Jones, explains the fallout of his decision. In the years that follow, Furie watches…