Sick

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Ouch. It's easy to get distracted by the abuse one penis can take — only to rise again! — in this provocative, near tear-jerking documentary about ubermasochist/visual artist Bob Flanagan. Battling cystic fibrosis until his death at age 44 in 1996, Flanagan pushed the limits of pain and illness with his outrageous art and a sense of humor as sharp as, well, the nail he drives through his member. Director Kirby Dick (no joke) explicitly paddles home the dark allure of S&M, but at the heart of this intriguing film beats the love between Flanagan and his wife/dominatrix Sheree Rose. As Flanagan hauntingly observes: You always hurt the one you love.