The trailer for Max’s They Called Him Mostly Harmless teases the disturbing true story of the hunt for a deceased hiker’s identity. Premiering on the streaming service on February 8, 2024, the bizarre tale was directed by Emmy winner Patricia E. Gillespie (The Fire That Took Her) and features individuals directly involved in figuring out the mystery man’s identity.
“I was drawn to this story because of its potential to help us think more deeply about what it means to live in the digital age,” explained director Gillespie. “I hope we’ve made a film that manages to both honor the citizen detectives who worked tirelessly to identify Mostly Harmless, while encouraging audiences to get involved in the issue of unidentified persons.”
Max offers this description of the documentary:
“When an unidentified hiker is found deceased in the Florida wilderness, authorities release a sketch. Multiple hikers call in claiming to have met the man. There’s only one problem – he never told them his name. It would take two years, thousands of devoted internet sleuths, and a miracle of science to identify him, and that’s when the trouble really starts. A character-centric reimagining of a classic true crime genre, They Called Him Mostly Harmless is about finding yourself when you’re looking for someone else.”
Among those contributing to the story are Christie Harris (citizen detective), Natasha Teasley (outdoor enthusiast and internet sleuth), Nicholas Thompson (CEO of The Atlantic and former Editor in Chief of Wired), David Hurm (lead detective), Kristin Adams (criminal research investigator), and Kristine Gill (Collier County Sheriff’s Office PR). Kelly Fairbanks (trail angel), Marge “MJ” Creech (hiker who encountered “Mostly Harmless”), Brandon Dowell (hiker who encountered “Mostly Harmless”), Mike Gormley (hiker who encountered “Mostly Harmless”), and David and Kristen Mittelman (founders of Othram – a cutting edge autosomal DNA company) are also featured.
Ethan Goldman, Keayr Braxton, Danielle Franco, and Amy Brown served as producers. Executive producers include Gillespie and Eric Cook.
