The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is a true-crime documentary film directed by Colette Camden that focuses on Caleb “Kai” McGillvary, the hitchhiker who went from Jimmy Kimmel to being accused of murder. The documentary has a runtime of 85 minutes.
Netflix’s description of the documentary reads:
This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad’s ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.
– The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
When The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker starts, you’d see this story to be innocuous and funny and a rather odd story – it’s almost humorous. Truly, you’d find yourself almost smiling with the internet’s craziest story – Kai the Hatchet-Wielding Hitchhiker will intrigue you and almost make you feel happy for some reason.
The documentary does a fantastic job giving a rundown of Kai, the sensation who literally took the world by storm. He’s charismatic, Jessob says it, and you see it as well – Kai takes you right into his shenanigans with just so much charisma! Everyone who the documentary interviews corroborate that part, that regardless of the alcohol in his breath or his eccentric ways, Kai had something in him that made him different from everyone; he was a loose canon with nothing to lose.
But, like, let’s be real – Kai’s viral sensation came from bludgeoning a guy with a hatchet. Of course, he saved someone’s life, but he did commit violence. It’s an interesting thing to watch, people fawning over him for doing something that’s really not that black and white.
This is a true-crime documentary, after all; the ‘true crime’ comes out just a bit after the viral outbreak but then again, questions buzz around on what the truth might be. Caleb “Kai” McGillvary was a free spirit, but he had demons from his past that made him a certain kind of way. Or was it just him and nothing from his past? Is he telling the truth? The documentary makes you question these things after the initial euphoria wears off.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is a thrilling watch that will make you question several things. As I mentioned previously, there’s not one thing that is happening here – there are several different aspects of fame and then its eventual descent into crime. The crime itself will make you question everything. Sure, he’s the easiest target, but what if what Kai was saying was the truth? Would it have made a difference?
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I think these questions and ambiguities are what made the documentary a worthy watch. It doesn’t ask the tough questions, but it does keep the stage open for interpretations, especially when you get to see that Kai wasn’t really hiding his truth from anyone around him. If anything, he was always true to himself and was a rather eccentric individual who probably needed some psychiatric help.
Or maybe he didn’t. Maybe the free life is what he was made for, and the world’s attention on him made everything turn upside down. In the end, are we the true culprits, or is he? The answer is definitely worth a look into, especially because, let’s face it – there are things that even this documentary doesn’t delve into.
Final Thoughts: The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
A story about a beloved viral sensation who faced it all – the story has everything that will make you sit up and take notice. There’s drama, humour, and just the right amount of questions and answers to keep your curiosity piqued. With the usual fare of interviews, videos and investigation reports from the time, the documentary keeps it real and reels you in in the process.
All in all, if you’re in the mood for watching something truly head-scratching, this one’s the one to look into.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is streaming on Netflix.
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