Universal released the trailer for its documentary adaptation of Mark Manson’s “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F—: A Counterintuitive Approach To Living a Good Life” on Tuesday.
“You’re going to die one day,” Manson says at the beginning of the trailer, which you can watch at the top of this post. “I just wanted to remind you.”
The clip then cuts to a paramedic using a defibrillator on Manson’s paralyzed dead body as he mentions his book about self-esteem and positivity.
“‘You deserve to be special and unique and extraordinary,’” Manson continues. “Actually, that’s bulls—.”
Manson’s 200-page self-help book came out in 2016. It tackles life perspective from a reductionist standpoint, reminding readers not to take themselves so seriously because there is only so much time in the world and still so much life to live without worrying about every single little thing.
“You go on social media and you feel like a loser!” Manson says in between snippets of both action and still scenes in which he sits to be interviewed. “The message that a better life is about more, more more. Making a lot of money might make you feel good, but it won’t make your kids love you.”
As the trailer progresses, Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” punctuates the titles that indicate what kind of message the film will deliver: “A Guide to Finding Happiness” and “An Answer to Our Problems.”
“Our brain is kind of playing this game with us: To give a f— about everything — nicer job, low fat milk, SPF and ozone, social media, [the recording speeds up as the visuals do] — then we’ll live happily ever after,” Manson’s voiceover continues.
Then a video of a skimboarder totally wiping out and eating it in a big splash sets the scene for Manson’s next words.
“There’s only a few things in life that are ever worth giving a fuck about,” he says.
“It’d be a hell of a lot easier if I could just hit you with 6 easy steps to life’s success,” he continues as the shot turns to him floating on a raft in a pool with headphones on, surrounded by synchronized swimmers and drinking something from a pineapple. “But to really get into this stuff, you’ve got to feel it, and to feel it, I guess I’m gonna have to dig up some old, painful s–t.”
The last choice word coincides with Manson taking a big slurpy sip from whatever his pineapple husk houses. “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F—” is coming soon.
