‘Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever’: inside Bryan Johnson’s obsession with reversing ageing
Now, we’ve all heard about those wild ideas people have to stop ageing or “never grow old”, right? Some swear by anti-ageing potions, while others are diving into bizarre conspiracies — like drinking children’s blood to stay young.
Yeah, sounds like a true crime documentary in the making but this Netflix documentary is less about blood and gore and more about a man’s relentless quest to stop ageing. Bryan Johnson is the guy who wants to live forever, literally.
Johnson, a successful American entrepreneur, isn’t aiming for immortality in the afterlife; he’s aiming for eternal life here on Earth.
“Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever” takes us on a dizzying ride through Johnson’s expensive and extreme anti-ageing experiment.
This guy is not your typical millionaire looking to just chill — he's spending millions in the hopes of reversing ageing, all through a protocol that’s more like a science fiction film than real life.
So what exactly is he doing? Well, let me tell you, it’s like an insane routine that would make even the most disciplined gym-goer feel like a slacker. From the second Johnson wakes up at 4.30 am, he’s got a schedule that could put the most hardcore athletes to shame.
It starts with special lights in his bathroom that mimic sunlight, followed by 54 pills (I mean, what are his kidneys even doing at this point?), HRV therapy (which is all about stimulating the nervous system), a workout and then the fun part — shoving kilograms of vegetables, not just a little leafy side salad.
It doesn’t stop there. He’s wearing a cap on his head for hair growth, spending 12 minutes under red and near-infra-red light for healing and then putting his body through electromagnetic stimulation to, well, keep things ticking.
His goal is to achieve the lowest possible biological age. And he’s not joking around —he spends 2 million dollars (approximately 37 million rand) every year trying to stay forever young.
But you’ve gotta wonder: Is this actually “living” or is it just surviving?
The documentary dives into Johnson's personal experiment with Project Blueprint, a mission that has him using his body as a human test subject for anti-ageing treatments.
And he’s doing it to prove that it’s possible to stop time and reverse ageing.
As he shows off his heart rate, his muscle oxygen saturation, and his VO2 max, the numbers look impressive — like 18-year-old impressive — but it’s still unclear how much of this actually works.
The documentary’s director, Chris Smith, does a solid job of presenting the pros and cons. Doctors weigh in, stating that Johnson’s simultaneous use of various treatments doesn’t provide scientific clarity on what’s actually making a difference.
Still, one takeaway that Smith hopes viewers gain is that the basics — like good sleep, diet and exercise — are what really make the difference and anyone can achieve this.
Johnson’s obsession with staying young and looking forever 18 might seem a bit over the top but it’s clear that his experiment is not for the average person.
If you don’t have a millionaire's budget, don’t worry — Project Blueprint isn’t likely something you can try at home. But you could start with better sleep, maybe a workout and less of that KFC.
In the end, Johnson’s life might look like a never-ending marathon but you have to ask— when does it stop being about living and start being about surviving? And is it all worth it for the sake of being 18 again?
Maybe watch “17 Again” with Zac Efron for a quick fix. At least it’s cheaper.
“Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever” is a fascinating and eye-opening documentary but one thing’s clear: immortality might just be a pipe dream.
So, maybe let’s stick to those more attainable life goals, like living a healthy life through sleep, exercise and diet — minus the 54 pills.