When the Mask Slips: SXSW's "The Rise and Fall of Phoenix Jones"

South by Southwest is known for premiering innovative new films that push the envelope of what movies can be. The festival's programs include dozens of features, shorts, and documentaries. One of the best docs so far this year premiered this morning at the Long Center in downtown Austin. Bayan Joonam's Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Super Hero, a story that feels ripped straight from a comic book; proving that reality is always stranger than fiction.

Starting in 2011, Benjamin Fodor adopted the identity of Phoenix Jones, dressing up in a black and gold rubber suit, fighting crime, all with the ambition of becoming a real-life superhero. Mainly targeting street fights, drug deals, and car-jackings in addition to providing amateur first aid at city riots. Eventually he became the head of a group of practicing Seattle superheros called the Rain City Superhero Movement. Over the course of his career, he gained real notoriety in Seattle and on the internet. Seeing Phoenix Jones was like seeing a rubber-clad Bigfoot and searching his name would send audiences down an unbelievably deep rabbit hole of information. Over the course of six years, filmmaker, Bayan Joonam sought out to tell the story of this elusive Seattle legend, warts and all. It wasn't easy, according to Fodor he "quit about six times," but eventually the doc was finished, covering Fodor's career as a superhero as well as side of him we've never seen: his role as a father and citizen.

Taking inspiration from real-life comic book heroes, Fodor felt implored to start fighting crime in order to protect his son. In his first ever public appearance, Fodor's son, Freedom recounts the challenges of being raised by a real-life superhero, something he would often hide from his peers rather than flaunt.

You see, the reputation of Phoenix Jones is far from spotless. While some saw him as inspirational, others saw his vigilantism as reckless and claimed he was making situations worse rather than solving them. For most, his image was tainted when he was arrested in 2020 for allegedly selling MDMA to an undercover police officer. As of 2022, he is on felony probation but this revelation after years of busting drug dealers painted him as an undeniable hypocrite. Still, Phoenix Jones remains a fascinating figure in Seattle with city-wide recognition and a league of fans. One of his most vocal supporters being actor and Seattle native, Rainn Wilson of The Office fame.

Seeing Phoenix Jones in person is something I can't really describe. It is never entirely clear whether or not he is telling the truth or playing things up for theatrics. He is a natural showman whose career stemmed from the desire to do something good but morphed into something much more sinister. After meeting him, unmasked, it is clear that underneath the black and gold rubber, he is just a man, a man who wanted to make his home a safer place. A man who has been to hell and back in terms of not only his crime fighting, but his volatile personal life with his family. After all, he had a very public MMA match with his own brother.

The documentary's greatest strength is how thoroughly it examines not only the career of Phoenix Jones but the life of Ben Fodor. I think the film could've been twenty minutes shorter as it does suffer from pacing issues, but this is a story that nobody would believe if it wasn't thoroughly documented. Not to mention an abundance of truly ridiculous comedy that is almost always unintentional. It is exactly the kind of film you would expect to see at South by Southwest, it's gritty, weirdly hopeful, and exposes a part of our world that deserves a million more eyes on it.

Despite his checkered past, I can't help but find myself rooting for Phoenix Jones. We definitely shouldn't be encouraging people to become rubber-clad vigilantes, but I hope that this doc inspires some people to be a superhero in their own unique way.