With rampant narcissism threatening to trash civilization as we know it, the time has come for Assholes: A Theory, an entertaining and oh-so-timely new doc from acclaimed director John Walker. Built around a lively conversation with Aaron James, author of the New York Times bestseller of the same name, this Hot Docs 2019 favourite investigates the breeding grounds of contemporary “asshole culture,” from Ivy League frat clubs and Silicon Valley to Wall Street and beyond. Why do assholes thrive in certain environments? What explains their perverse appeal and success? Monty Python’s John Cleese, LGBTQ activist Vladimir Luxuria and more weigh in on the rise of asshole-dom in politics, economics, and social media, offering a few hopeful signs of civility in an otherwise rude-’n-nasty universe.