"Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee" is the cinematic equivalent of a wild, bumpy ride on a rickety carnival attraction that you're not entirely sure has passed safety inspections. It's okay in the way that you leave the theater feeling slightly entertained but also like you might have been safer just watching paint dry. This documentary attempts to stitch together the chaotic tapestry that was McAfee's life, from antivirus pioneer to international man of mystery, and it does so with the subtlety of a sledgehammer at a glassblowing show.
Where this film hits the middle ground of mediocrity is its schizophrenic tone. One second, it's a tech thriller with all the cyber-panache of a 90s hacker movie; the next, it's a bizarre pseudo-philosophical ramble through the jungles of Belize. The filmmakers throw in everything but the kitchen sink, possibly believing that McAfee's eccentric life could only be matched by an equally erratic narrative style. This results in a viewing experience that is as disorienting as reading McAfee's own Twitter feed might have been-amusing yet perplexing, and you're not quite sure what to make of it all.
The documentary does manage to capture some genuinely intriguing moments that peel back the layers of McAfee's wild persona, giving glimpses into the man behind the media mask. However, these moments are fleeting, lost in a sea of over-the-top reenactments and interviews that range from enlightening to eyebrow-raising. It's a 3-star scramble that leaves you somewhat entertained but also a bit exhausted, like finishing a marathon through a hall of mirrors. In essence, it's perfectly okay-if okay means leaving the cinema as baffled as you were intrigued.
