You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain was an introspective phrase originally said by Harvey Dent, a fictional lawyer that resided in the comic book world of Gotham City. This profound statement was only emphasized by Mr. Dent’s impending turn into one of Batman’s most iconic villains, Two-Face. Never before has there been a more poignant real-life example of this quote’s definition than from within the hour-and-a-half-long documentary, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, which is available on the streaming platform Netflix to watch now.
Going by the nickname of just Kai, Caleb Lawrence McGillvary shot into stardom following his candid on-the-spot interview regarding a car accident that he was involved in on February 6th, 2013 that happened in Fresno, California. Rescuing a woman who was just trying to help a trapped pedestrian, Kai freed her from the assailant’s grasp by smashing a hatchet over his head a repeated number of times.
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This incident garnered the public’s attention mostly due to his enthusiastic retelling of the story, as well as what he had to brazenly say before informing the reporter of what happened at the scene, which included that no matter your past and what you’ve done, you should be respected, loved, and valued. While it should be noted that a man who happens to carry a huge knife all casually like this does not exactly fit with someone who shouts proverbs about peace and harmony, people all around the world instantly fell in love with the persona that was portrayed.
A Hollow End for Kai the Hitchhiker
Netflix
As time went on and Kai started to feel the overwhelming weight of became more noticeable and popular, those that were around him who were trying to constantly elevate the rapidly growing star started to notice that he was a lot more dangerously eccentric than first realized. Defecating on private property, getting kicked out of five-star hotels, and guzzling down a bottle of whiskey like it was juice, it was only a matter of time until actual legal trouble followed.
Only five months out from the incident that made the world fawn on this notorious hitchhiker, Kai was arrested following a grisly murder case that found him bludgeoning New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy in his home on the night of May 15th, 2013. Telling the authorities that Galfy had drugged and raped him, the police instead saw what they deemed was a bout of violence stemming from Kai’s sudden quest to put an end to supposed pedophiles across the country.
Interviews for this documentary come from the initial reporters and the associated press that guided him through Hollywood to federal authorities tracking him down all the way to his own family members who insisted they did nothing wrong regarding his upbringing. The new Netflix documentary shows that just like in Star Wars with Anakin Skywalker eventually turning into Darth Vader, fateful events can even make those who look the most trusting into the most corrupt and twisted instead.
Showing Both Sides of Kai
Splicing in the numerous online song remixes and parody videos that were made over the years of the entire saga, archival video footage from when Kai was a host on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and surveillance camera footage used to track Kai’s whereabouts when he was being located by authorities, The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker paints a picture of a vibrant but troubled man. A nomad who would find interest in collecting surfboards, learning how to play nine musical instruments, and seemingly stepping into any sort of dangerous fray to save others. On the other side of that cheerful and bubbly demeanor, there was a man whose eyes were blank, whose rock concert performances were derived out of untold trauma, and who also had to carry weapons out of what he believed to be a sheer necessity.
With the documentary being put together by Raw Productions, which is an award-winning film and television company based in London, England, there is nothing left for the imagination as to why The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker is unforgettable. Raw Productions is responsible for Stanley Tucci’s CNN traveling abroad series called Searching For Italy, Fear City: New York vs The Mafia, which was an inside look into one of the most prolific subject matters of the Big Apple, and Trainwreck: Woodstock ‘99, which ironically is similar to Kai’s story but on a much bigger scale. Instead of one person going from the feeling of peace to chaos in a momentary fashion, the same was done but on a much grander scale. Besides creating scripted features, these specific works show that Raw Productions are already masters at nonfiction storytelling, and putting the spotlight on Caleb Lawrence McGillvary is no different.
With that being said, take a seat and watch The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker. You will follow along with the original news reporter Jessob Reisbeck as he leads the audience into the astonishing journey of a man who always strived for his morals to remain good but over time let bad thoughts corrupt his mind.
