[SXSW ’24] ‘Dickweed’ review: Prison breaks, pot, amputated dicks, and not much else

Dickweed has one of the most eye-catching titles from South by Southwest. The true crime documentary is more than just a goofy name, however. In 2012, a man and a woman are kidnapped. They are taken out to the Californian desert where the man is beaten, tortured, and castrated. But why? 

The title makes sense very quickly – cannabis is legal in California, but the actual story is a twisting one that is unbelievable and even darkly funny. The opening sets the tone for Dickweed. It describes a serious incident, but there is almost a comical tone to it all. This changes dramatically when the ordeal is discussed in detail and blowtorches and tasers become involved.

The entirety of Dickweed plays like this. There are some laugh out loud funny moments like a recorded prison escape mixed in with serious issues such as domestic violence. Other true crime releases have been able to find this mix, but it never really comes together here. This leads to an abrupt ending that also seems unsure of itself, falling flat.

It is up to the wild case to carry things. After a great start, Dickweed settles into a typical groove. Talking heads, re-enactments, and recorded conversations fill the majority of the time. There are a number of quick reveals and surprisingly little mystery. It is startling that a case with so many fantastic elements would lend itself to such a paint by numbers production.

Dickweed is by no means bad, but it is definitely disappointing. The story is crazy and filled with wild twists and turns, but the stitched together film (it is actually the season finale of a true crime series) plays it very safe. The sheer audacity of some moments will register, but the whole thing does not stand out.

SXSW takes place March 8 – March 16. The full lineup can be found HERE