# David Farrier
**David Farrier** (born 1982 in Tauranga, New Zealand) is a New Zealand journalist and documentary filmmaker known for the 2016 feature documentary *[Tickled](https://www.edgepedia.org/tickled)*, the Netflix series *[Dark Tourist](https://www.edgepedia.org/dark-tourist)* (2018), and the 2022 documentary *Mister Organ*, and for the newsletter Webworm and the podcasts The Cryptid Factor and Flightless Bird.[1](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621231282) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_farrier) • [3](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/) He is based in the United States.[4](https://www.aidc.com.au/whos-coming/david-farrier/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982, Tauranga, New Zealand[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_farrier) |
| Education | Bachelor of Communication Studies in journalism, Auckland University of Technology, 2002–2006[5](https://natlib.govt.nz/records/32003895) |
| Breakthrough | *Tickled* (2016), co-directed with Dylan Reeve, premiered at Sundance and was nominated for the World Cinema Documentary award[6](https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/tickled) • [3](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/) |
| Netflix series | *Dark Tourist*, eight-part docuseries released 20 July 2018, in which Farrier visits dark tourism sites worldwide[7](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/8-years-on-netflixs-best-ever-documentary-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-streaming-docuseries) |
| Second feature | *Mister Organ* (2022), about Michael Organ, premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas[8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) |
| Podcasts | The Cryptid Factor (with Rhys Darby), Flightless Bird, and Armchaired & Dangerous[1](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621231282) • [8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) |
| Newsletter | Webworm, an independent subscription publication[8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) |
## Early career in New Zealand television
Farrier abandoned an initial path in medicine at the [University of Auckland](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-auckland), recounting that a rat dissection that ended badly convinced him to switch; he enrolled in journalism at Auckland University of Technology in 2002.[9](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/why-david-farrier-gave-up-med-school-for-journalism/ROXO773L6UL5QMRVAW4J7KWVJ4/) • [10](https://nzmarketingmag.co.nz/david-farrier-on-ways-to-be-less-shy/) He joined TV3 in 2006, direct from his degree, and became entertainment reporter for the late-night program Nightline, where his interviews ranged from Hollywood stars to eccentric local stories.[3](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/) From 2008 he worked as a pop-culture and technology reporter, and he later co-hosted TV3's late-night news show *Newsworthy* with Samantha Hayes.[5](https://natlib.govt.nz/records/32003895) • [9](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/why-david-farrier-gave-up-med-school-for-journalism/ROXO773L6UL5QMRVAW4J7KWVJ4/)
With comedian [Rhys Darby](https://www.edgepedia.org/rhys-darby) he ran the podcast and radio show The Cryptid Factor, built around their shared interest in cryptids, animals not yet proven by science; in 2009 a small team traveled to Mongolia hunting the Mongolian Death Worm, a project that ran out of money and remained unreleased.[9](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/why-david-farrier-gave-up-med-school-for-journalism/ROXO773L6UL5QMRVAW4J7KWVJ4/) • [11](https://www.theaureview.com/watch/david-farrier-on-the-highs-lows-and-law-suits-of-his-documentary-tickled/)
## Tickled (2016)
*Tickled* began as a television story. Farrier, a pop-culture journalist at TV3, came across a website seeking young men to travel to Los Angeles for competitive endurance tickling competitions and asked the company behind it, Jane O'Brien Media, for an interview.[12](https://www.nziff.co.nz/assets/sm/upload/wm/og/co/mj/NZIFF_AE16_Wellington_web.pdf) The response turned hostile, with homophobic abuse directed at Farrier, who is gay, and legal threats; he blogged about the exchange, and within weeks he and fellow Kiwi Dylan Reeve, until then only Twitter friends, launched a [Kickstarter](https://www.edgepedia.org/kickstarter) to fund a trip to the United States.[13](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tickled-interview-documentary-david-farrier-competitive-tickling-doc-a7199101.html) • [14](https://fourthreefilm.com/2016/08/tickled-an-interview-with-david-farrier-and-dylan-reeve/)
The project grew into a feature documentary, funded through Kickstarter and the New Zealand Film Commission, with Carthew Neal producing; Magnolia Pictures and HBO acquired North American rights.[14](https://fourthreefilm.com/2016/08/tickled-an-interview-with-david-farrier-and-dylan-reeve/) • [6](https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/tickled) • [15](https://www.screendaily.com/interviews/david-farrier-dylan-reeve-tickled/5099619.article) The 86-minute film premiered in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the [Sundance Film Festival](https://www.edgepedia.org/sundance-film-festival) in January 2016, where it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature, and later screened widely, including at Hot Docs and the Melbourne International Film Festival.[6](https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/tickled) • [3](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/) • [14](https://fourthreefilm.com/2016/08/tickled-an-interview-with-david-farrier-and-dylan-reeve/)
**Legal threats and follow-ups.** Making and releasing the film brought a barrage of lawsuits and harassment. Farrier reported that lawsuits filed against the film were dismissed in Utah and Missouri, where early screenings took place.[16](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/he-made-a-movie-about-competitive-tickling-but-then-things-got-truly-weird/2016/06/30/0a622a0c-3d56-11e6-84e8-1580c7db5275_story.html) A follow-up short, *The Tickle King* (2017), directed by Farrier, aired on HBO.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_farrier) Farrier left TV3 in January 2016 to pursue the documentary work full time.[3](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/)
## Dark Tourist and Mister Organ
**Dark Tourist (2018).** In 2018 Farrier created and hosted *Dark Tourist*, a Netflix docuseries in which he visited dark tourism hotspots, places strongly associated with death, across an eight-episode run, including a [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeffrey-dahmer) tour, the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a voodoo rite, and attempts to enter restricted areas.[7](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/8-years-on-netflixs-best-ever-documentary-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-streaming-docuseries) Farrier described the show's intent as going to places where something horrific might have happened, probing the ethical issues, and focusing on the humanity around the sidelines.[7](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/8-years-on-netflixs-best-ever-documentary-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-streaming-docuseries) No second season was made; in a 2021 blog post Farrier pointed to the Covid-19 pandemic as having ended plans for one.[7](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/8-years-on-netflixs-best-ever-documentary-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-streaming-docuseries)
**Mister Organ (2022).** Farrier's second feature documentary followed Michael Organ, a man who ran an intimidating wheel-clamping operation outside an Auckland antique store and whom Farrier had already encountered on an earlier story. The film premiered at [Fantastic Fest](https://www.edgepedia.org/fantastic-fest) in Austin in September 2022.[8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) • [17](https://www.hammertonail.com/interviews/david-farrier/) Reception highlighted the film's portrait of a con artist, while some critics questioned why the film did not address more directly why Farrier pursued such a dangerous subject.[8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) Farrier himself said he did not enjoy making the film, which took years of pursuit.[18](https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/05-11-2022/david-farrier-on-making-a-movie-that-never-ends-it-sucked-it-fucked-me)
## Journalism, podcasts, and later work
After *Tickled*, Farrier maintained a visible presence through podcasts, writing, and investigative reporting. He hosts the documentary podcast Flightless Bird, produced for actor [Dax Shepard](https://www.edgepedia.org/dax-shepard)'s Armchair Expert network, in which the New Zealand journalist examines American life, and he co-hosted the interview podcast Armchaired & [Dangerous](https://www.edgepedia.org/dangerous).[1](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621231282) • [19](https://www.unomagazine.co.nz/main-blog/meaning-amp-the-madness) • [8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) His newsletter Webworm carries long-form investigative reporting; in 2022 he published an exposé of the New Zealand church organization Arise Church, based on accounts of former members.[8](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/) • [20](https://www.critic.co.nz/files/Critic-2022-7-pdf.pdf)
He continues to work in film. *Mockbuster* (2025) credits him as executive producer, and IMDb lists an upcoming directorial project, *Ladies in Black: The Gary Thain Story*.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_farrier) • [21](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3910931/) On screen he has also appeared as himself in Rhys Darby's comedy series *Short Poppies* (2014).[21](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3910931/)
His work has twice drawn award attention for *Tickled*: a Sundance World Cinema Documentary Feature nomination in 2016, and nominations for Best Documentary and Best Documentary Director at the 2017 New Zealand Film Awards (The Moas), shared with Dylan Reeve.[3](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/)
## Note on name
A different David Farrier, a professor at the [University of Edinburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-edinburgh) and author of *Nature's Genius: Evolution's Lessons for a Better World* (2025), is a separate person and should not be confused with the New Zealand documentarian.[22](https://canongate.co.uk/files/CanongateSpring2025.pdf) • [23](https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/david-farrier/)
## References
1. [David Farrier, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621231282)
2. [David Farrier, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/david_farrier)
3. [David Farrier, NZ On Screen](https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/david-farrier/)
4. [David Farrier, Australian International Documentary Conference](https://www.aidc.com.au/whos-coming/david-farrier/)
5. [Farrier, David, active 2008-2013, National Library of New Zealand](https://natlib.govt.nz/records/32003895)
6. [Tickled, New Zealand Film Commission](https://www.nzfilm.co.nz/films/tickled)
7. [8 years on, Netflix's best-ever documentary remains a high-water mark for streaming docuseries, What to Watch](https://www.whattowatch.com/news/8-years-on-netflixs-best-ever-documentary-remains-a-high-water-mark-for-streaming-docuseries)
8. [What critics are saying about Tickled director David Farrier's new doco Mister Organ, Flicks](https://www.flicks.co.uk/news/what-critics-are-saying-about-tickled-director-david-farriers-new-doco-mister-organ/)
9. [Why David Farrier gave up med school for journalism, NZ Herald](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/why-david-farrier-gave-up-med-school-for-journalism/ROXO773L6UL5QMRVAW4J7KWVJ4/)
10. [David Farrier on ways to be less shy, NZ Marketing magazine](https://nzmarketingmag.co.nz/david-farrier-on-ways-to-be-less-shy/)
11. [David Farrier on the highs, lows and law suits of his Documentary Tickled, The AU Review](https://www.theaureview.com/watch/david-farrier-on-the-highs-lows-and-law-suits-of-his-documentary-tickled/)
12. [Directors: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve, NZIFF programme](https://www.nziff.co.nz/assets/sm/upload/wm/og/co/mj/NZIFF_AE16_Wellington_web.pdf)
13. [Tickled interview: The 'competitive tickling' doc that led David Farrier into the heart of America's darkness, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/features/tickled-interview-documentary-david-farrier-competitive-tickling-doc-a7199101.html)
14. [Tickled – An Interview with David Farrier and Dylan Reeve, 4:3](https://fourthreefilm.com/2016/08/tickled-an-interview-with-david-farrier-and-dylan-reeve/)
15. [David Farrier, Dylan Reeve – 'Tickled', Screen Daily](https://www.screendaily.com/interviews/david-farrier-dylan-reeve-tickled/5099619.article)
16. [He made a movie about competitive tickling. But then things got truly weird., The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/he-made-a-movie-about-competitive-tickling-but-then-things-got-truly-weird/2016/06/30/0a622a0c-3d56-11e6-84e8-1580c7db5275_story.html)
17. [A Conversation with David Farrier (MISTER ORGAN), Hammer to Nail](https://www.hammertonail.com/interviews/david-farrier/)
18. [David Farrier on making a movie that never ends, The Spinoff](https://thespinoff.co.nz/pop-culture/05-11-2022/david-farrier-on-making-a-movie-that-never-ends-it-sucked-it-fucked-me)
19. [Meaning & the madness, UNO Magazine](https://www.unomagazine.co.nz/main-blog/meaning-amp-the-madness)
20. [KARERE / NEWS / 07, Critic magazine](https://www.critic.co.nz/files/Critic-2022-7-pdf.pdf)
21. [David Farrier, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3910931/)
22. [Canongate Spring 2025 catalogue](https://canongate.co.uk/files/CanongateSpring2025.pdf)
23. [David Farrier, University of Edinburgh Research Explorer](https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/david-farrier/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Film and television directors › Directors of Oceania*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license