Sigma Cinema, WTF Even is This Trend?

By Aiden Wilson (they/them)

Trigger Warning – this article discusses topics which allude to violence towards women, abusive behaviour, and misogynistic extremism. While these mentions are not graphic in their depiction, reader discretion is still advised.

You’ve most likely seen the term pop up here and there. Sigma Males. What does it mean? Why are so many men attracted to this? Why are there so many videos of Christian Bale on my timeline??

Read on and find out…

Sigma wha?

Urban Dictionary describes a sigma male as “a more internally focused sibling to the alpha male. While the alpha male quantifies himself on his high position in the social hierarchy, a sigma male prefers to forego the social hierarchy and need for external validation altogether and pursue internal strength instead. Essentially a “loner” or a stray man, although sigma males may have a close circle of friends and loved ones with whom they share a deep connection.”

Another definition from Urban is “The newest role that insufferable incels have latched onto as an end-goal. Similar to an alpha male but instead of having sex he is a sociopath who devotes his life to financial success and “the grind” and sacrifices his life on the altar of capital. Probably wants to live in Dubai or something.”

If you’re someone who defines themselves as a sigma male and have come to this article with the words “literally me” in mind, I suggest you make like a tree and leaf because this is not for you.

The Edits.

We’ve all seen them.

Those ridiculous edits featuring that god awful electronic remix of Bring Me the Horizon’s Can You Feel My Heart. They have the stupid effects, slo-mo, zooms, the whole shebang. And they ALWAYS feature a genuinely awful film or television character, saying something vaguely threatening, sexist, or even homophobic as the beat drops. These types of videos have cropped up all over within the last year, always focusing on the same cast of edgy male characters from incredibly mainstream films that filmbros will try to convince you are underground as hell. I’ll describe an example.

We open with the aforementioned music playing quietly. Patrick Bateman, as portrayed by Christian Bale in the film American Psycho, walks towards the camera. The music continues as we are shown him walking, wearing his headphones, various quotes from the film playing over top. We cut to a shot of Patrick in bed with two women. The music cuts out as he angrily pulls away from one, aggressively saying –

“Don’t touch the watch.”

The beat drops, various slow-motion effects occur, we get that one shot of him nodding and smiling. The irony lost on this video’s audience is the character and film he’s from are a commentary on toxic masculinity, capitalism, and all that good stuff.

The problem.

Viewing characters in cinema as being “sigma males” and aspiring to then be like them is a trend which is not only stupid, but highly disturbing. Ever heard of a red flag film? A movie that if someone told you it was their favourite, you’d probably turn tail and run? Well, the characters being idolised in these videos are red flag characters. Patrick Bateman is NOT someone the audience should look up to, he is a commentary on hypermasculinity and the toxicity that comes along with that. He’s sexist, homophobic, and he also may or may not kill a guy named Paul. But he’s also successful, rich, has a lot of sex, and wears a nice suit. These are all qualities that are seen as desirable, especially to younger male audiences who are being pushed towards ideas of “the grind” by figures like the Tate brothers and Joe Rogan.

I am FULLY aware that this is coming across as a ramble, but there’s good reason for all the ridiculous details. I want to highlight just how toxic of a trend this is. Men, specifically younger men, are being targeted with these videos and fed disgustingly patriarchal ideas about how they should be. The movies that are being used as examples of what a man should be were literally written to critique that exact fucking idea.

Is this why they’re all age restricted? Because audiences who are too young will get the wrong idea? Probably not, but it also goes to show the immaturity on display. Thing is, this trend isn’t restricted to men below the age of 18. It’s a widespread thought-process shared by men in their 20s and older, encouraged by misogynists who have more of a platform than they deserve.

To keep this on theme, let’s discuss some male archetypes from film that have been idolised over the years.

The Drifter – emotionally distant, loner, usually very mentally ill. Featured in many films critiquing the American government, the draft, and the Vietnam War.

The Poet – emotionally distant, loner, usually very mentally ill. Featured in many films critiquing society, capitalism, and the emotional state of men.

The Batman – emotionally distant, loner, usually very mentally ill. Featured in many films about Batman.

Do you see the common factor?

Let’s go back to that definition from urban quickly: “Essentially a “loner” or a stray man…”

What is it about emotional distance that attracts male audiences? Is it the old idea about how it isn’t manly to show emotion? Most likely. This idea is, everyone say it with me… bullshit. But it’s making it’s way back into media and the hearts and minds of young men once more.

While we haven’t seen the term “sigma male” appear until recent years, the ideas it abides by have been around since the beginning of cinema. As beloved of a character as James Bond is, he’s still a womanizer who sleeps with a new girl every movie, played by actors who in some cases have supported Bond’s behaviour. Sean Connery famously said “I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong in hitting a woman, though I don’t recommend you do it in the same way you hit a man…” in an interview with, surprise surprise, Playboy Magazine. And while he’s not around today, his portrayal of Bond is arguably the most beloved and the one people would look to and see “sigma”. Not to mention, in one film he has sex with a lesbian woman, ‘turning her straight’ cause he’s James Bond, which is just fucked up. Bond isn’t a character designed to critique hypermasculinity but embrace it, and I fear the day the sigma crowd discover him, especially with Connery’s comments potentially backing up their own thought process. Like it or not, fictional media can heavily influence thought processes, especially those of people who are already carrying these toxic ideas with them. It can enable behaviours to end up in the extreme. Today’s misogynistic teen has the potential to be tomorrow’s abuser, and the echo-chambers created by so-called sigma men only increase this likelihood. While incel-identifying males are NOT sigma males, they’re two sides of a similar coin. Incel violence is real, with an attack happening in Auckland JUST LAST MONTH. 26-year-old Caleb Riley Bell attempted to kill two female high school students with his car, his reasons being that his lack of a girlfriend was an injustice, and he was tired of seeing others happy when he was not. In 2009, a teen inspired by Fight Club created his own clubs, and then attempted to replicate Project Mayhem (a pivotal subplot in the movie) style acts of destruction by blowing up a Starbucks. At the time, the bomber was 17.

To look at this sigma trend with anything less than concern is to plead ignorance. Sometimes it’s funny to see the edits, but those making them wholeheartedly believe what they’re saying, and the comments section shows they have amassed groups of men who believe the bile being spat out. It’s terrifying to think that these trends spread like wildfire and indoctrinate so many young, impressionable men. It’s sad. We’re living in an era where men should be waking up and taking responsibility for their actions, striving to not be like those who came before. Instead, people who don’t understand the message of the source material are twisting it to their own ends, using film as a way to justify their own shitty world view. Those of us who are mature enough to understand the messages of these films and characters can scoff all we want at the ridiculousness of living in their image, but the reality is people genuinely are.

To be a sigma male is to go after the grind, love sex, hate women, believe you’re top of the foodchain. It’s a trend that needs to die, desperately. Sad thing is, with men like Tate indoctrinating the young, and men like Connery justifying the old, it might already be too engrained within hearts and minds. However, we can stand up to injustice when we see it and hope this weird internet fad is just that.