FX’s Spermworld

Dir. Lance Oppenheim. 2024, 84 mins. U.S. DCP. Against a backdrop of roadside motels, abandoned shopping malls, and suburban bathrooms, Spermworld introduces us to the new wild west of American fertility—unregulated encounters between freelance sperm donors and hopeful parents. From longtime serial donors (one man tries to actively co-parent the dozens of children he’s spawned) to retired men looking to make themselves useful, and from parents who can’t afford or don’t trust fertility treatments to women who fail to qualify for such assistance, Oppenheim follows a spectrum of everyday people operating on a margin of society that’s entirely predicated on hope and production. While Oppenheim and his frequent cinematographer David Bolen don’t deny the tabloid toothiness of the milieu, they manage to marshal its wild appeal for the sake of a moving, and ultimately universal exploration of our needs for connection, self-worth, and purpose.  

FX’s SPERMWORLD is now streaming on Hulu.

Tickets: $17.50 / $12 senior and students / $10 youth (ages 3–17) / free for MoMI members at the Senior/Student level and above. There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

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