Review: Bryan Johnson is a Real Life Seth Brundle in Netflix Doc DON’T DIE
Bryan Johnson is a Real Life Seth Brundle in Netflix Doc DON’T DIE
When I go to bed at night, sometimes I pray for a documentary to explain what kind of insane chaos I live in. One night, I prayed, “Please, God. All that is holy. All-knowing sentient being not created by a corporation in the US. Give me a 90-minute film to show me what tons of money in a capitalist society can do to one person with issues around abandonment and organized religion.
Netflix’s Don’t Die follows Bryan Johnson, a wealthy entrepreneur who has dedicated his fortune—and his body—to defying aging and pushing the limits of the human lifespan. The documentary is efficient in its structure and execution, giving an overview of Johnson’s anti-aging regimen and a peek into his day-to-day life. It lacks the style, depth, and a very much-needed investigative spirit I was hoping for. But it covers a lot of ground, showing us a curated history of the man. I won’t go so far as to call it a commercial for Johnson’s longevity products, but I’d say if it were one, it did a fine job.
One issue I have with the film is: did no one during the documentary ask, “Have you read or watched ANY science fiction? Re-Animator? Jekyll and Hyde? The Fly? Come on…The Fly.” Sometimes we see people allude to Johnson as a mad scientist, hell-bent enough to finding the answer that he drinks his own elixir, but they are dismissed rather quickly considering the truly horrifying possible consequences. I mean, I know the world is on fire in so many ways, but we’re still kinda seeing self-experimentation as a little wild, right? Right?
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Johnson is, undeniably, a fascinating figure. (So is Seth Brundle.) He is self-effacing, funny, and unbelievably wealthy. And some would call his dark side his at-all-costs obsession with postponing death. Johnson’s lifestyle as his own guinea pig is meticulously controlled and monitored, and his wealth allows him to pursue what most of us can only dream (or have nightmares) about.
The film effectively lays out his routine and interviews colleagues and skeptics in the field. But for a story about a man trying to outlive our own biology, he often seems a little lifeless himself, pale and almost robotic in manner. Maybe that’s why Don’t Die itself feels oddly lifeless. It tries to capture Johnson’s very real and beautiful love for his father and son, his son being the only member of his marital family that stays in contact. And I enjoyed that.
But I wanted to see his flaws in a more human way, too. Was it just the style of the film and the cadence of Johnson’s voice that made me unable to feel that? His father and son are roped into the experiment, too. And it’s mainly shown as bonding, but I can’t help but find it jarring. I wanted the film to help me with the perplexity of this, but it moved on before I could digest what I was seeing.
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I follow Bryan Johnson and I’m on his email. So I know he has a wicked sense of humor. But after this documentary, is that really the work of Kate Tolo, his young CMO? I would watch a documentary just about her, a young woman in a very male-dominated industry who seems to be the only person able to market Bryan Johnson as a human trying to do something superhuman. Her documentation of his life through his newsletter and YouTube is a worthy complement to this doc. (Seeing other reviewers call Tolo an assistant is enough for me to see her talent is so misunderstood).
Also frustrating is the lack of critical interrogation. Johnson’s philosophy—while compelling—is also deeply entwined with privilege. His business model profits from humanity’s fear of death, and while the film does ask those tough questions, I felt like we could have dug even deeper. Maybe hit a little harder. Even him breaking up with a girlfriend because she has cancer (allegedly) felt like a footnote.
This man is Seth Brundle. No one can convince me otherwise.
To its credit, the documentary is cleanly structured, well-paced, and never drags. And I did learn more about a man I follow on the internet, which is admirable considering Bryan Johnson pushes out a lot of content about himself. But, as someone who loves investigative profile pieces, this film lacked artistic vision when there were so many amazing and quirky avenues it could go.
For a Netflix doc, I think Don’t Die is a solid popcorn film. I suggest watching it. But be aware, you will leave with more questions than answers.