New Netflix Documentary Is the #2 Movie, but Many Viewers Think It’s Exploitative

January 17, 2023, 4:53pm

Netflix has released their latest batch of viewership data, revealing what everyone has been watching for the past week. The #2 movie on the entire platform was the Netflix original true crime documentary The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker, which was watched over 21.2 million hours by subscribers. Considering the subject matter and niche appeal of documentaries on Netflix’s platform anyway it’s a decent premiere for the movie, the problem however is that many users are taking a lot of issue with the way that the documentary presents its lead subject. We’re going to dig into mild spoilers for the movie in order to discuss why some aren’t thrilled with it..

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For those unaware, the new film explores the quick, viral rise of the mysterious figure “Kai” whose wild presence on a local news channel spread like wildfire online and made him an overnight celebrity after he saved a woman. As one might expect, the film digs deep into the circumstances of people who pushed for Kai to make further appearances on television but also his tragic past, unstable condition, and eventual legal troubles that came about just months later which landed him in jail.

Just three months after the viral video made “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker” a household name however, Kai was arrested in connection with the death of New Jersey attorney Joseph Galfy. While Kai argued that Galfy’s death was self-defense in an attempt to stop a sexual assault, which was disputed at the trial by the local medical examiner. The judge in the matter called Galfy’s injuries “far more than than just an effort to thwart a sexual advance,” with Kai being found guilty of first-degree murder and given a 57 year prison sentence.

“Just watched The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker and felt so upset,” one user tweeted last week, adding that the film is “still exploiting” its titular subject Kai while showing how he was originally exposited too. Another added, “what in the victim blaming and exploitation is this Kai the hatchet-wielding hitchhiker documentary?,” punctuating it with a green, sick-face emoji. Finally, another user called the film “probably the worst documentary I’ve ever seen,” taking it to task for the documentary not investigating Kai’s defense claims regarding the alleged sexual assault. They added, “Just a bunch of reality tv producers talking about how they met him once and got a weird vibe.”

You can watch The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker now on Netflix, and see the current Top 10 movies on the platform below.