I constantly don't check out Netflix unless I'm peculiarly trying to find anything, but once I discovered a movie titled, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, I just had to check it out considering i like horror motion pictures like Evil lifeless. So, imagine my shock after I found out that The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker wasn't some Jeffrey Dahmer-classification movie, but fairly, a documentary overlaying none other than YouTube sensation, "Kai," (real name: Caleb Lawrence McGillvary) who I vaguely remember seeing years in the past from some Gregory Brothers video.
Now, possibly if I'd actually read the description of the brand new Netflix documentary in preference to just instantly clicked on it, I might have saved myself the bad vibes. but, after having watched the rather brief documentary, it in reality left a sour style in my mouth. And, curiously, I'm no longer on my own as many viewers seem to be upset with it. I'll get into that purpose – in view that I share it, too – as well as 4 other the reason why I basically disliked this new Netflix documentary.
One aspect that in fact bothered me about this documentary, and apparently many others, is that Kai probably has a intellectual ailment, and a lot of of the people concerned with this documentary appear to be exploiting it for entertainment's sake. Let me clarify. in the first half of the documentary, we gain knowledge of concerning the man who uploaded the video of Kai, and how Kai grew to become a sensation in a single day.
We additionally study that people desired to track him down and provides him fairly tons the realm, including his own truth tv exhibit, all from that one video of him going, "Smash, smash, suh-mash!" And all of it appeared relatively rosy… in the beginning.
however, since this is a real crime documentary, of route it all goes fairly darkish, fairly quick. That doesn't bother me so a good deal, on account that this is all par for the route with this genre. That said, all of it feels variety of icky during this case with the style that individuals in the amusement business talk about Kai, considering that he seemingly has some type of mental affliction.
however, as a substitute of discussing it for what it is, they in its place just go over how creepy he gave the impression round them, which is extremely off-putting, certainly if you believe how Netflix will doubtless earnings off of this documentary. It just feels gross.
Netflix curiously has loads of authentic crime documentaries, so I wager they're doing something appropriate, however this is the first I've ever watched from this platform, so excuse me if here is the norm. but, this documentary is tremendous brief! I'm speaking not even a full ninety minutes (ok, so it's 85 minutes, but still!).
Brevity is always my form of factor, but the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is truly pleasing in that it's telling two reviews. the first story is of how Kai grew to become YouTube noted, and the way he really lost all of his profession opportunities for the reason that he reputedly can't function in a method it really is socially desirable.
youngsters, the 2d half is about how Kai become convicted of homicide in New Jersey. actually, these can be two separate documentaries absolutely, and the tonal shift from the primary half to the 2nd feels tremendous abrupt, and even jarring. not that i would have appreciated to have viewed extra of the icky first half, however that second part, which even points Kai's mother, is truly reasonably charming, and, in my intellect, a great deal more suitable accomplished than the primary half. but, the second half looks to get a short shift as a result of the first half, and the homicide kind of just comes out of nowhere, so it in reality isn't a seamless transition.
here's what's additionally fairly exciting. I genuinely knew next to nothing about Kai apart from that video from a couple of years returned. but, from my staring at of the video, I didn't draw close that Kai was actually within the automobile with the person he ended up hitting with a hatchet. i know that doesn't make an awful lot experience given that he is common because the hatchet wielding HITCHHIKER, but I didn't comprehend that he became hitchhiking with the grownup who he would at last assault. For some rationale, that acquired lost for me.
but, I realized during this documentary that Kai turned into with that grownup, and that he even stated some eerie comments to the motive force before the man crashed his car right into a pedestrian. With this revelation, we be trained that Kai may additionally not have been so innocent, but the documentary spends very little time going into this, the usage of it only as a basis for why Kai probably shouldn't had been trusted, even returned then.
having said that, why become this aspect of the story rushed when it's ostensibly the crux of the argument for why Kai doubtless murdered a legal professional simplest just a few months later? It looks like some thing that could have been explored a fine deal extra.
Netflix incredibly has a lot of extremely good films at the moment with engaging stories that are well instructed. The same cannot be mentioned for this documentary notwithstanding, in view that the precise kicker to this total story – you comprehend, the fact that this YouTube superstar is now a convicted assassin – just about appears like an afterthought!
That's correct. The exact murder factor of this incident, which is what i might definitely want to study, is well-nigh glossed over, because the hook of Kai being a flash-in-the-pan superstar apparently takes up many of the documentary. And this is a real disgrace, for the reason that we don't in fact learn tons about the New Jersey legal professional Kai is convicted of slaying. yes, we study a little of his particulars, however he receives overshadowed through the narrative that the documentary is trying to tell, making the actual sufferer to the crime seem secondary, which doesn't make a whole lot experience in a real crime documentary.
mental ailment is no funny story, and there are videos that address it simply. So, you can consider a documentary this is dealing with a true person would strategy it with tact, however no. It doesn't. Whereas the documentary could have delved into homelessness and how intellectual illness influences hundreds of thousands of individuals, it as an alternative decides to take a quirky (Netflix categorizes it as "offbeat") method, getting darkish the place critical, but certainly not actually getting into Kai's homelessness except it's to punctuate the fact that some television professionals could not find him.
this is a real disgrace, on the grounds that even if I don't need to guide Kai because he became convicted of murder, I also think that Netflix dropped the ball through no longer entering into mental sickness on the streets. Homelessness is a major problem, as well as mental affliction. So, for this documentary to not in reality get deep into both become a disappointment to assert the very least.
however, what do you believe? Did you see The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker?
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