IMDb RATING
6.2/10
14K
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This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad's ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad's ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.This shocking documentary chronicles a happy-go-lucky nomad's ascent to viral stardom and the steep downward spiral that resulted in his imprisonment.
Tanya Baker
- Self - Assaulted by Jett McBride
- (archive footage)
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It seems like an unintentional documentary on how the kid could have been rescued or helped with many chances to do so but all the people he kept crossing paths with only saw how they could benefit from him or cast him aside when they were done with their intents for him. Fairly crazy to look at these many people just act as if they don't know what they are doing, fairly mesmerizing, really. The pattern just keeps repeating from different people and even from the same people he crosses more than once, noone wants to see past themselves and face the reality that is in front of them basically screaming for help. What a sad society.
This is so disturbing. My focus for this review is on the mother. Yes the "powers" of media, took advantage of this young man and then dropped him at the first sign of trouble. One look at this "mother" tells you the true story. The mere fact that when she was informed of his arrest for murder, she smirked and gave a chuckle , enough said. Abuse. It's very clear all the way through this documentary that Kai was sexually abused at one point is his life. With a detached abusive mother and no support, his mental health is not surprising. Everyone ignored this kid. His suffering is obvious. He's muti-generational Canadian First Nation, already at a disadvantage.
There is mention of how good this lawyer "gentleman" was.... no talk of really how much a predator this lawyer was. The murder of him was not ok for sure but for Kai to rot in prison as the sole perpetrator in this disastrous life is not the answer. The depiction of Kai's life in this film is deeply disturbing. He didn't stand a chance.
There is mention of how good this lawyer "gentleman" was.... no talk of really how much a predator this lawyer was. The murder of him was not ok for sure but for Kai to rot in prison as the sole perpetrator in this disastrous life is not the answer. The depiction of Kai's life in this film is deeply disturbing. He didn't stand a chance.
I'm not sure I knew about Kai before watching this. It's a watchable documentary but the participants in it make all sorts of irritating biased claims that suit their angle. To begin with I personally did not think of Kai's behavior as heroic even for a split second. He seemed chaotic in his speaking, was showing how he hammered the other person with way too much enthusiasm and just showed signs immediately that he's someone to beware of. The fact that so many wanted to see him as a hero (and are still speaking as though he had that great charisma factor) and how the media sensationalized him should be a deeply disturbing commentary on the state of what society values at any time and how media plays a role. Since the story is real and interviews are somewhat interesting it was watchable. But unlike many other documentaries, I don't see much of a lesson learned or any critical discussion to stimulate ideas that are useful. The underexplored murder also cast a shadow on the elderly victim, and I felt that the victim may be victimized again. I don't know what happened but we're only hearing the side of the murderer. Not the best doc. And certainly a real story that none should be proud of particularly the media. Face up to the consequences of your decisions.
When I first started watching this, I thought it might be a Mockumentary. It was all over the place and I found it obnoxious. As it progressed, it got better.
This story has few conclusions and leaves you with a lot of questions. I'm wondering if this guy got by being a hustler then snapped at one of his johns.
It is sad to see all the people who had no interest in him except when they thought they could make money off of him. I don't think any of them wanted to improve his lot in life or to get him psychological help. Granted, he did come across as a free spirit who could take care of himself, but when disturbing behavior came out, they all fled.
You want to feel sorry for him, but once a person hurts another in such a vicious way, I lose all empathy.
This story has few conclusions and leaves you with a lot of questions. I'm wondering if this guy got by being a hustler then snapped at one of his johns.
It is sad to see all the people who had no interest in him except when they thought they could make money off of him. I don't think any of them wanted to improve his lot in life or to get him psychological help. Granted, he did come across as a free spirit who could take care of himself, but when disturbing behavior came out, they all fled.
You want to feel sorry for him, but once a person hurts another in such a vicious way, I lose all empathy.
Having never heard of Kai before this documentary, I was really interested in hearing his story. Through interviews with news reporters and television producers, we get a picture painted of a young homeless man with a hippie-esque mentality who became a hero through seemingly justified violence. But as Kai's story progresses, we come to see that he is a more unbalanced and unpredictable person than was originally thought. When police and family are interviewed, we truly begin to see behind the veil of Kai's homeless hippie hero persona.
While this documentary starts off well with lengthy, balanced coverage of Kai's rise to fame vis social media, it falls flat when addressing the crime he is currently imprisoned for. The murder of Joseph Galfy almost seems like an afterthought compared to the build up of Kai's meteoric rise through the majority of the film. Many documentaries covering crimes and convictions of this nature feature interviews with psychologists and legal specialists to better illustrate the antagonist's clinical mental state and history but little is done to showcase this, save for limited interviews with his mother and cousin.
While the story is interesting, this execution of this documentary fails to give a fully balanced look at the entirety of Kai's rise and fall, leaving you saying "Wait, that's the end?".
While this documentary starts off well with lengthy, balanced coverage of Kai's rise to fame vis social media, it falls flat when addressing the crime he is currently imprisoned for. The murder of Joseph Galfy almost seems like an afterthought compared to the build up of Kai's meteoric rise through the majority of the film. Many documentaries covering crimes and convictions of this nature feature interviews with psychologists and legal specialists to better illustrate the antagonist's clinical mental state and history but little is done to showcase this, save for limited interviews with his mother and cousin.
While the story is interesting, this execution of this documentary fails to give a fully balanced look at the entirety of Kai's rise and fall, leaving you saying "Wait, that's the end?".
Did you know
- ConnectionsReferenced in Film Junk Podcast: Episode 881: Infinity Pool (2023)
- How long is The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker?Powered by Alexa
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- Also known as
- The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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What was the official certification given to Kai, l'autostoppeur à la hachette (2023) in Germany?
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