Louis Theroux, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker, has admitted that the terrorist group ISIS was one subject he was too scared to cover, despite wanting to. Speaking to LadBible, the 55-year-old said the extreme violence and danger posed by the group made it impossible for him and his crew to safely film.
Theroux, known for tackling controversial topics such as neo-Nazis and Jimmy Savile, described ISIS as a “weird reanimation of a medieval mindset” with “pornographic violence”. He noted that while the group is not as powerful as in the mid-2010s, it remains active, with attacks in Australia and Syria last year.
The filmmaker also discussed his latest documentary, Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere, where he found himself being filmed by his subjects. He told Romesh Ranganathan that this experience was “personally uncomfortable but also sort of revelatory”.
Theroux added that his family is “alarmingly relaxed” about his dangerous work, with his wife hiding any worry she might have. He said they separate “work Louis” from “home Louis”.
