Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee

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Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee

2022

1h 45m

Biography

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

39%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

He's the original computer genius gone rogue, inventor of one of the most successful (and most hated) pieces of software of all time: McAfee Anti-Virus. At his peak, John McAfee was worth $100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, McAfee went on the run -- and invited a film crew with him. With access to hundreds of hours of never-before-broadcast footage of McAfee as he's pursued by the authorities, this is the definitive story of a larger-than-life character, a man who ran for President, escaped from prison multiple times, and claimed to have hacked the world.

James Jackson

Times (UK)

... As the story then unspools over several years, McAfee’s behaviour becomes even more wayward, his story even weirder. The fact that this multmillionaire is a madman makes him all the more compelling.

Sep 12, 2022

Full Review

Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It leaves a lot out, I would say, but the editing is really funny.

Aug 26, 2022

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

What this documentary really offers is an immersive John McAfee experience, plunging viewers into the sometimes dangerous mania of a man determined to prove some kind of a point by living as far outside the law as possible.

Aug 26, 2022

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

The curiosity factor driving this bizarre documentary makes it worth the look-see.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 8, 2022

Full Review

Graeme Tuckett

Stuff.co.nz

McAfee was a fascinating – at times revolting – character. And until someone finds a new trove of archive, this film is probably the best we are going to get.

Aug 31, 2022

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Stephen Silver

Splice Today

Succeeds at telling a compelling story, but doesn't answer many questions about its subject

Rated: 3/5

Aug 26, 2022

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Renaldo D

Interesting documentary, with good development and excellent analysis of the protagonist's life,

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/08/24

Full Review

brady m

This is the problem with Netflix produced documentaries. They're lazy, unprofessional and the story meanders. I don't care about the camera guy wanting to go make coffee in the middle of the interview, I don't want them cussing for no real reason. It's sloppy. If the BBC made this movie, it would have been of the highest quality. Strive for more, Netflix.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

Full Review

Nick E

I don't understand some of the low ratings on this film. I absolutely loved it. I'm not sure about the accuracy of it, since it was a story largely told by John, but I don't care. I just wanted to be entertained and this certainly did this well. What a story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/02/24

Full Review

Alohamofos

Inside the world of a crazy Mofo. This guy makes Elon Musk look like a geography teacher. And the doco crew have balls of steel.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/06/22

Full Review

dan r

If there was ever a documentary where the phrase 'going down the rabbit hole' was so true it was 'Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee.' SYNOPSIS: 'Revealing footage and interviews uncover new layers of fugitive tech pioneer John McAfee's wild years on the run.' This is bonkers. This Netflix documentary follows John McAfee who's a heavily armed, mega-paranoid tech millionaire, Libertarian presidential hopeful and suspected murderer. On top of this he does a lot of drugs, drinks a lot of booze, and seems to exist in a constantly agitated state of paranoia. What's the worst that could happen? You're driven by curiosity to watch this, it's car crash TV. But you just have to watch. As we follow McAfee over a number of years his behaviour escalates to weirder and more wayward levels. A multmillionaire madman is a compelling watch, but it's also terribly sad. For all those involved. 8/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well documented movie about a single phrase: "Play stupid games, get stupid prizes". This includes the film crew Look forward to "I called my pimp" and... "I'm taking OUR chances"

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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Charlie Russell

Director

John McAfee

Self

Andrew Slater

Producer

Dov Freedman

Executive Producer

Joby Gee

Film Editor

Tim Goalen

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Synopsis

He's the original computer genius gone rogue, inventor of one of the most successful (and most hated) pieces of software of all time: McAfee Anti-Virus. At his peak, John McAfee was worth $100 million. But when his neighbor was murdered, McAfee went on the run -- and invited a film crew with him. With access to hundreds of hours of never-before-broadcast footage of McAfee as he's pursued by the authorities, this is the definitive story of a larger-than-life character, a man who ran for President, escaped from prison multiple times, and claimed to have hacked the world.

Director: Charlie Russell
Producer: Andrew Slater
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 24, 2022
Runtime: 1h 45m