Film
Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much
A documentary about a math teacher's obsessive study of The Price is Right that spiraled into unexpected notoriety. It's a warm, funny portrait of fandom taken to its logical extreme—how one man's harmless encyclopedia of retail prices became tabloid scandal when he allegedly helped a contestant cheat. For anyone who's ever loved something enough to master every detail.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy tight, character-driven true-story documentaries about an oddball obsession that snowballs into a real-world scandal, told with a wry eye for the small absurdities of television.
Skip it if you want a fast, slickly edited doc; this one is modest in scale and talks through its story with interviews and archive footage rather than spectacle.
What it asks of you: About seventy-two minutes, unhurried and conversational, with a steady patience for the details of one man's hobby and the fallout that followed.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Tickled2016
Starts as a quirky documentary about competitive tickling and transforms into a genuinely unsettling investigation of power, obsession, and internet darkness. Like Perfect Bid, it follows rabbit holes of enthusiasm that lead somewhere unexpected and strange.
But The tonal shift into genuinely uncomfortable territory might feel manipulative, and some viewers find the subject matter off-putting from the start.
The Toys That Made Us2017
Netflix series celebrating cultural obsessions with beloved products and shows. Each episode captures the passion of fans and creators alike, with the same affection Perfect Bid brings to Price is Right devotion. Highly accessible and genuinely warming.
But Episodes vary significantly in quality, and the glossy Netflix style can feel shallow if you're expecting deep analysis rather than nostalgia.
Fyre2019
Documentary about a music festival that became a scam, told through interviews with believers, workers, and the people who got caught up in charismatic fraud. Like Perfect Bid, it's about how normal people got pulled into something that spiraled beyond anyone's control.
But Heavy and frustrating to watch. There's no redemption arc, just repeated failures and people getting hurt. Not fun like Perfect Bid is fun.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters2007
Both are about ordinary men who became experts in a narrow field through obsessive study and practice, and both documentaries find unexpected drama in that dedication. A gamer vs. a game show devotee are the same creature in different costumes.
Documentary about competitive arcade gaming and two men battling for the Donkey Kong high score. Slauson loved The Price is Right so much he mastered its rules; these players loved Donkey Kong enough to dedicate their lives to beating it. Same obsessive passion, completely different arena, and genuinely thrilling.
But The protagonist-antagonist dynamic is heavily manipulated by the filmmakers, and if you don't care about arcade games, the technical details drag.
More like this (4)
Exit Through the Gift Shop2010
Banksy documentary about an obsessive street-art superfan who becomes a creator himself. Explores how passion, access, and documentation can blur the line between fan and subject. Clever and visually engaging.
But Some believe it's partly a prank at the viewer's expense, which undercuts the sincerity some audiences are seeking.
Pumping Iron1977
Documentary following bodybuilders preparing for competition. Like Perfect Bid, it captures people who've devoted their lives to mastering a specialized world. Arnold Schwarzenegger at his charismatic peak, and the obsession on display is fascinating.
But The pacing is leisurely by modern standards, and the 1970s soft-focus aesthetic won't appeal to everyone.
Indie Game: The Movie2012
Documents independent video game creators pouring years into passion projects. Captures the obsessive devotion, the stakes, the weirdness of mastering one thing so completely. Beautifully shot and genuinely moving.
But Very focused on the creators rather than the games themselves, which disappointed some viewers expecting more gameplay footage.
Nightcrawler2014
Both explore the psychology of someone who becomes an expert through obsessive documentation and pattern-recognition, and both ask what happens when that expertise intersects with other people's lives. Perfect Bid is the warm version; Nightcrawler is its shadow.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays a man who becomes obsessed with recording video of Los Angeles at night, building expertise and access through relentless dedication. Like Slauson, he's collecting data, mastering patterns, learning the system inside-out. But this is noir instead of documentary—a thriller about what happens when obsession becomes something darker.
But It's cynical and bleak in a way Perfect Bid absolutely isn't, and extremely uncomfortable to watch. Gyllenhaal's character is predatory, not lovable.
People
Cast
Bob BarkerSelf
Drew CareySelf
Kevin PollakSelf- Theodore SlausonSelf
- Roger DobkowitzSelf
Directing
- CJ WallisDirector
Production
- CJ WallisProducer
- Mallory KennedyProducer