This documentary about the life of John McAfee reminded me of the movie 'The Mosquito Coast'; a maverick, libertarian American travels to central America and becomes very strange. In the case of McAfee, who developed the world's first anti-virus computer software, said "strangeness" involves bizarre sexual practices, a permanent escort of armed guards, and allegations of rape and murder. Yet McAfee returned to the U.S. and an apparent life of contemporary respectability. Nanette's Burnstein's documentary isn't perfect: I don't think much of her interview technique, and she credits a failed bid for the Liberartarian Party of America's nomination for the U.S. presidency with rather more seriousness than it deserves. But it's still a compelling story, whose ending if foreshadowed very early on when we learn of the unconventional practices among the staff of the McAfee company from it's earliest days: those interviewed remember the competition to see who could get laid on their desktops most frequently with fondness, but it seems of a piece with McAfee's later, more disturbing behaviour. Overall, it's a lesson that too much money never really does anyone good; but it's even worse if you get in the way of the person who has it.
