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Voyeur is a 2017 documentary film that explores the story of a man named Gerald Foos, who owned a motel in Colorado in the 1960s and 1970s. The film follows the investigative journalism work of Gay Talese, a renowned writer who became fascinated with Foos' story and the secret world he had uncovered as a voyeur. The film begins by introducing Gerald Foos, a man who had built a comfortable life for himself by running a motel located near Denver International Airport. What nobody knew, until Foos confided in Talese, was that he had secretly spied on nearly every guest who stayed in his motel for over two decades.

Foos had built a secret viewing platform into the ceiling of each room, allowing him to peer down on his guests without their knowledge. He kept detailed journals of what he saw, including descriptions of various sexual acts and other intimate moments. In his own mind, Foos was a "researcher," studying human behavior and documenting his findings in the hopes of one day publishing a book.

The film explores the legal and ethical implications of Foos' secret voyeurism, as well as the toll it took on his own sense of self. By the time Talese first approached him about the story, Foos had become a recluse, living alone in a small apartment and obsessively poring over his journals day after day.

Despite the potential for criminal charges and public shaming, Talese ultimately decides to pursue the story, hoping to uncover new insights into the human psyche and the nature of privacy. He accompanies Foos to his motel and conducts several interviews with him, trying to piece together the full extent of his voyeuristic activities.

Along the way, the film introduces us to some of the other key players in Foos' life, including his estranged wife and his daughter. We learn that Foos' obsession with voyeurism had alienated him from his family and driven a wedge between him and his own sense of morality.

Throughout the film, Talese struggles with the ethical implications of his own involvement in the story. He grapples with whether it is right to publish Foos' findings, given the violated privacy rights of the motel guests. He also struggles with his own internal biases and preconceptions about voyeurism, recognizing the thin line between moral outrage and prurient fascination.

As the film progresses, Talese begins to realize that he may have misjudged Foos and his motives. He discovers inconsistencies in Foos' story and realizes that some of the details in his journals may have been fabricated or exaggerated. Ultimately, Talese decides to abandon the story, citing Foos' lack of credibility and the potentially damaging impact it could have on the lives of the people he spied on.

In the end, Voyeur raises important questions about journalistic ethics, privacy rights, and the nature of human curiosity. It sheds light on a little-known chapter in American history and challenges us to examine our own moral compasses when it comes to issues of privacy, consent, and voyeurism.

Overall, Voyeur is a gripping, thought-provoking film that is sure to leave viewers with plenty to think about long after the credits have rolled.

Voyeur is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.1 and a MetaScore of 59.