Don't Die : L'homme qui voulait être éternel

I started this documentary fully expecting it to be a straightforward exposé of a wellness influencer/biohacker or perhaps another commentary piece on the prevalence of snake oil in today's health and wellness industry.

Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a well-executed, evenhanded, authentic documentary about a uniquely disciplined, emotionally nuanced human-being relentless in his pursuit of immortality yet open about his struggles with loneliness and depression.

The doc goes far beyond the oft cringe content and polished veneer he shares on social media, providing the viewer with an intimate window into Bryan's origin story, his monastic yet luxurious existence, and perhaps most compelling, his endearing relationship with his son and his parents. I came away with a new respect and understanding for him as a person. Well worth the watch.

This is an 8 for me because rarely has a documentary been more revealing through what it does not elucidate, namely the deep insecurities of Bryan Johnson and all the things he hides from the world, including himself - his shadow self. "I'm a disaster of an intelligent being..." and "I don't fear death..." were his words in this documentary, whose title reads, "The man who wants to live forever". This is a person full of contradictions and unaware of his blind spots. He might succeed in being the first man to live beyond 120 years of age, but die eventually he will.

The origin of Johnson's death anxiety began in his burnout in his mid- to late-thirties, which brought him face-to-face with his shadow self and led him to question his existence and relationship with the LDS church. Perhaps he realised there has to be more to life than being stressed out 24/7 as a tech entrepreneur, and he found no pleasure in his roles as a husband, a father, a son and a Mormon. At the peak of his existential crisis, he experienced severe depression and suicidal ideation. It was a complete obliteration of the self that he had known.

But who was Bryan Johnson if he wasn't a Mormon, a husband, a father, a son and a tech entrepreneur? His identity was built on those very foundations, but they were also the building blocks to his despair. He felt he had no other choice but to leave the church and his community, and he probably feared the punishment of hell that is promised to the unfaithful like him. That could be the beginning of his obsession with extending his life as best he could, so that he can delay purgatory.

All this is merely my hypothesis, of course. For a documentary so fixated with longevity, it was telling that the focus was purely on physical health, with absolutely no exploration of mental well-being, other than a brief acknowledgement of the importance of social connection and community by Johnson himself. It seemed like a deliberate effort on his part not to discuss his burnout, depression, exit from Mormonism and its repercussions because he desired to avoid painful emotions and memories.

The Don't Die enterprise is fuelled by Johnson's need to carve out a new identity and fulfill his fantasy of cheating death at all cost, while avoiding the difficult topics of self-fidelity, self-compassion and self-acceptance (all three of which Johnson is no closer to achieving). Living a healthy lifestyle through minimising stress, eating nutritious food, exercising regularly and having adequate sleep is no news to anyone in the 21st century. Unlike Johnson and his acolytes, many in the world simply don't have such luxury because they are busy working in terrible conditions in poor countries, making goods for those like him and his followers, who never seem content no matter how much they already have. As guaranteed as his mortality is, Johnson can never outrun his shadow.

My key measurement of a documentary's quality is whether or not it is trying to sell something. I believe the film makers did a good job of not promoting Bryan's quest. Instead, it was more informative about a very unique, if not odd lifestyle. This got it to a five, but ultimately it was just too creepy for me to give it any more.

Bryan has quite a few hang ups, and this seemed to be the focus of the second half of the film. I'm glad he has found a way to cope with his depression, loneliness, and lack of interpersonal skills - especially since he only has a few hundred million in the bank.

Ultimately, I found him creepy, narcissistic, and (ironically) very unhealthy looking! He kinda reminds me of the movie character "Powder".

Notice how often he appears shirtless.

Total sideshow attraction.

This is an interesting documentary, as much as it's interesting to watch someone unhealthily obsess over any part of their lives.

There are two key differences between this and a generic reality TV show you'd find on cable television: the first is that the subject of this documentary is selling products based on the brand described in the documentary, which is to say that he sells pseudo-science miracle cures for aging to impressionable people and uses this documentary to promote that; the second is that he is incredibly rich.

Bryan Johnson is another influencer that people errantly idolize. He started all of his venture capital companies with other partners, and he and his partners purchased--they did not found, nor create, but they bought out--Venmo, which made them nearly all of their money. Us Americans tend to distill one great feat of capitalism down to a single person, as if it's possible for all of us to become that person. Steve Jobs did not create the computer, Elon Musk did not create Tesla, Thomas Edison did not discover electricity, and George Washington didn't write the Declaration of Independence, but people like to think they did because making it big is what we're taught to idolize.

Bryan has written children's books about living forever using the pseudo-science presented in this documentary. The concept of scientific study means you need to be able to demonstrate verifiable, reproduceable results for your theorem before it can become factual. Taking hormones, going through plasma transfusions, and the myriad other ways that Bryan claims to be extending his life are without basis in scientific fact and may actually be harmful to others. Bryan also forgets that GENETICS are the largest factor in life expectancy, and anything he does will only increase the likelihood that he lives as long as maximum longevity as determined by GENETICS. To sell treatments that claim otherwise is akin to peddling snake oil.

This documentary was extremely interesting insofar as it brings light to someone who suffers from mental health issues. A large number of people fear death, but Bryan takes his pursuit to an extreme that is debatably unhealthy for anyone. He exhibits obsessive-compulsive behaviors and follows such a strict regimen as to make his daily life look intolerable and unsustainable for anyone with a sound mind.

His depression and Fear Of Missing Out are both saddening. He devotes so much time and money to futile and sometimes fruitless endeavors to make himself live forever, when he could be using that time and money to enjoy his life more.

No living organism has ever truly been actively alive forever (tardigrade cryptobiosis doesn't count as being actively alive). The REAL way to live forever is to develop a LEGACY that perpetuates after your death. The IDEA of Bryan Johnson could achieve immortality if he used his money to help cure cancer, end homelessness, and so on. This is the immortality that many people before him have realized.

If there's anything I got from this movie, it's this: I worry that Bryan will waste the remainder of his life seeking something that cannot be obtained. He will have regrets as he dies. The most unfortunate part is that he is an INFLUENCER. The idea of living forever is APPEALING TO MANY, and thus many people will buy into his philosophies and miracle drugs, only to be led astray. Even if Bryan genuinely believes he is helping people, I fear that promoting treatments that are not scientifically backed on such a wide scale will only cause more harm than good.

Self made millionaire Bryan Johnson devotes his life to seeming eternal youth. This documentary explores his past, his present and his relationships.

In my mind's eye, I kept hearing Lois from Family Guy, shouting out 'Bryyyyan,' and at times, I almost felt like I was watching an episode of Family Guy, where Peter sells his soul to The AI gods, in exchange for living forever.

I have keenly followed Bryan for many years, and I find him truly fascinating, millionaires exist in a different world from the vast majority of us, he's impossible to understand, but he's fascinating to watch.

I worry people will slate this documentary, purely because they loathe Bryan, or vehemently disagree with what he's doing, I hope not, because this is a fascinating watch.

Bryan.......some of what he does intrigues me, some of it I agree with (exercise, supplementing, dodging processed food etc,) some of it terrifies me, the general therapy, but who knows, perhaps in twenty years time we'll all be doing things that he's been doing here.

Bryan has the wealth to do whatever he likes, I've always thought of him as a slave to AI, he doesn't seem to live, he seems to exist, through algorithms and routines, I couldn't imagine anything worse, but it's his life, and it is fascinating.

It's very interesting.

7/10.