New Hulu Doc ‘Get Huge’ Shows the Deadly Toll of Looksmaxxing

A new Hulu documentary titled "Get Huge: Looksmaxxing to Death" delves into the dangerous world of self-optimization, a phenomenon that has gained traction among disaffected, lonely young men. The series, directed by Stacey Lee and executive-produced by journalist Jennings Brown, follows the story of 44-year-old former model turned lawyer turned bodybuilder turned supplement impresario, Huge.

After fleeing the United States due to legal pressure from the Food and Drug Administration, Huge built a following of young men in Thailand, where he became an icon for the fledgling biohacking community. However, some of these followers started dying, leading to the untimely death of biohacker and penis enlargement influencer Laith Abdallah Algaz, found deceased in Huge's home in January 2023.

Lee and Brown's investigation goes beyond a typical true-crime documentary, exploring the hedonistic, self-destructive, and often deadly world of looksmaxxing. As the men in Huge's circle resort to increasingly extreme methods, such as injecting themselves with pig's brains and liquified gold, alliances shift at the drop of a hat, and their lives become more consumed by an obsession with social media and performance.

Lee emphasizes the importance of discerning truth from fiction, as the series aims to provide a warning to young viewers who might view Huge's lifestyle as a blueprint for their own.

The documentary also sheds light on the queer side of bodyhacking and looksmaxxing, with the men regularly engaging in group sex with Thai sex workers. The filmmakers aim to understand why men are drawn to this world and what keeps them there, particularly in light of the tragic deaths that have occurred.