Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee
Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee | |
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Directed by | Nanette Burstein |
Produced by | Chi-Young Park |
Starring | John McAfee |
Cinematography | Robert Chappell |
Edited by |
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Music by | Dana Kaproff |
Production company | Ish Entertainment |
Distributed by | Showtime |
Release dates |
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Running time | 97 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee is a 2016 American documentary film about the portion of John McAfee's life spent in Belize. The film was directed by Nanette Burstein and had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2016, before airing on Showtime on September 24, 2016.[1]
Synopsis[]
McAfee became a multi-millionaire after creating a prominent antivirus software, and later relocated to Belize. In April 2012, national police raided McAfee's estate based on suspicions of drug manufacture or trafficking. Later that year, McAfee's neighbor Greg Faull was murdered and McAfee went into hiding before crossing the border to Guatemala and being deported back to the United States. The documentary suggests that McAfee was involved in the murder due to a feud between him and Faull over McAfee's dogs. McAfee was never charged with any crime in Belize.[2][3]
McAfee described the documentary as fiction.[4]
Reception[]
John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, stating, "Though she says she began the documentary trying to understand how McAfee's likely guilt was so quickly forgotten by the media as they covered his latest political aspirations, Burstein seems to have wound up conducting an investigation more thorough, or at least more fruitful, than any local authority."[5] Jacob Brogan of Slate said of the film, "Even when Burstein's questions don't prompt easy answers, it's thrilling to consider the possibilities that arise in their wake",[6] while Steve Greene of IndieWire said, "This film works best as an indictment of a sensationalist, tunnel-vision brand of media coverage that confuses eccentricity for legitimacy and eschews reporting in favor of the face-value testimony of a strong personality."[7]
References[]
- ^ Zelenko, Michael (September 12, 2016). "New Showtime documentary accuses John McAfee of rape and involvement in two murders". The Verge. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^ "SV tech titan John McAfee accused of monstrous deeds in scathing documentary". September 20, 2016.
- ^ Yamato, Jen (September 12, 2016). "John McAfee Accused of Rape and Murder in Explosive New Doc". The Daily Beast.
- ^ "John McAfee: Showtime's 'Gringo' Documentary Is Fiction". Bloomberg. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
- ^ "'Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee': Film Review | TIFF 2016". The Hollywood Reporter. September 12, 2016.
- ^ "This New Doc About Anti-Virus Software Pioneer (Turned Fugitive) John McAfee is Spellbinding". September 20, 2016.
- ^ "'Gringo' Review: John McAfee Doc is Both Testament and Antidote to Media Manipulation – Toronto". September 16, 2016.
External links[]
- 2016 films
- English-language films
- 2016 documentary films
- American documentary films
- American films
- Documentary films about computer and internet entrepreneurs
- Films directed by Nanette Burstein
- Films set in Belize
- Films shot in Belize
- John McAfee
- Showtime (TV network) documentary films
- Documentary television film stubs