10 Most Shocking Reveals From Netflix’s Don’t Die Documentary

Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever is Netflix’s new documentary about social media sensation Bryan Johnson, and here are the 10 biggest reveals from the new film. Bryan Johnson is a wealthy entrepreneur and tech CEO who has also become obsessed with anti-aging technology, with him claiming that he wants to be eighteen years old again. Director Chris Smith uses Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever to explore how Bryan Johnson is working on achieving this goal, with the film diving into the various methods and experimental medical treatments that Johnson uses.

Bryan Johnson is the founder of Braintree, Kernel, and a plethora of other businesses and startups, but this isn’t what he is most famous for. Instead, Johnson went viral on social media for his anti-aging and life expansion attempts, with him starting an organization called Project Blueprint in order to achieve this goal. Johnson’s controversial techniques have caused many eyes to be drawn toward him, with him most famously doing blood transfusions with his son in an attempt to become younger. The new Netflix documentary explores all this and more, and here are the film’s 10 biggest reveals.

10

Bryan Johnson Asks His Organs What He Should Eat

They Make 100 Decisions A Day

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_01_23_11

Early in Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, Bryan Johnson discusses how he decides what he should and shouldn’t do. Johnson first explains that most people listen to their brains when they decide what to eat, when to go to sleep, when to exercise, and a variety of other decisions. Johnson, however, approaches things differently, with him claiming that he listens to all of his organs instead.

Best Movies On Netflix December 2024

Related

30 Best Movies On Netflix Right Now (January 2025)

From Godzilla Minus One to Under Paris and The Gentlemen, here are our picks for the best movies on Netflix for everyone to enjoy this month.

Posts

1

Bryan Johnson claims that his body asks him to do around 100 things each day in order for it to be at its ideal state, with him contributing many of his health successes to this. While Johnson also consults with doctors and a complicated algorithm, Johnson’s method of listening to his organs is what he claims is one of his main practices in his anti-aging and life-expansion attempts.

9

Bryan Johnson Has A Rigorous Morning Routine

The Documentary Describes It All

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_05_49_04

Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever also delves into Bryan Johnson’s rigorous morning routine, describing it in detail. Johnson says that he always goes to sleep at 8:30pm and wakes up at 4:30am, with him hopefully getting exactly eight hours of sleep. Johnson then turns on a light in his bathroom that gives sunlight exposure, takes three pills, takes his body temperature with an inner-ear thermometer, and starts HRV therapy that stimulates the nervous system.

Next, Johnson takes 54 more pills and a drink called the Green Giant, puts on a hat with lasers that stimulate hair growth, and works out for an hour. After his workout, Johnson eats a few pounds of vegetables, does high-frequency electromagnetic stimulation on his abdomen, does 12 minutes of near and red-light therapy, and does audio therapy. Johnson finally has one more meal before 11am and then takes another 34 pills.

8

Bryan Johnson Ages 8 Months For Every 12 Months He Lives

Based On His Speed Of Aging Measurement

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_01_06_18

Throughout Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, Bryan Johnson cites a measurement he refers to as “speed of aging,” which is a decimal that measures how much someone ages biologically in a chronological year. According to Johnson, he had a 0.69 speed of aging when the Netflix documentary was filmed, meaning that for every 12 months that passes, he ages about eight months.

The documentary doesn’t explicitly explain how one’s speed of aging number is calculated, although Bryan Johnson does delve into the complicated measurement in this Medium article. Just before the credits of Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, a title card claims that Johnson’s speed of aging has dropped to 0.64 as of November 2024, claiming that he is seeing continued progress on his mission.

7

PayPal & A Salesman Job Inspired Bryan Johnson’s First Big Company

It Is Why He Started Braintree

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_01_21_28_23

Braintree is the company that truly helped Bryan Johnson succeed, with him founding the company in 2007. Johnson says that, when he was struggling financially, he took a job as a door-to-door credit card processing salesman, something that inspired him to become interested in online transactions. This led him to study PayPal and its acquisition by eBay, eventually leading him to found Braintree.

According to the documentary, BrainTree was started without any outside capital, with it twice being cited as one of America’s fastest-growing companies and even acquiring Venmo in its fifth year. Johnson left Braintree Venmo when it was acquired by PayPal, which was still owned by eBay, in 2013, with some of the funds from the sale undoubtedly contributing to Johnson’s health endeavors.

6

Bryan Johnson Grew Up Mormon (& Later Left The Religion)

Right Before Starting Project Blueprint

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_01_08_21_06

Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever spends a lot of time discussing Johnson’s time as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with Mormonism playing a key part in his story. Johnson was born into the religion and was a practicing member into his adulthood, although his struggles with the religion led to him eventually leaving the church. This occurred shortly before starting Project Blueprint, with the organization helping Bryan’s mental and physical health after his deconstruction.

Custom SR image of Micheal Ward as Vinny in The Beautiful Game and Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis in Scoop 

Related

10 Best Netflix Movies Of 2024

From critically acclaimed dramas to innovative animations and thrilling genre pieces, these movies exemplify Netflix’s commitment to excellent cinema.

Posts

Johnson leaving Mormonism played a role in the end of his marriage, with his ex-wife and kids not seeing him much according to the documentary. Eventually, however, Bryan Johnson’s son Talmage Johnson left Mormonism and moved to California to be with his father. Bryan and Talmage are incredibly close according to the documentary, although Bryan still doesn’t see his other two children much.

5

Bryan Uses An Experimental Drug Called Rapamycin

It Has Shown Anti-aging Effects In Mice

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_01_19_41_19

Although Bryan Johnson takes a lot of medication, Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever spends a lot of time focusing on an experimental drug called rapamycin. The drug is used to suppress the immune system before organ transplants, although Johnson uses it for its supposed life expansion benefits.

Author and scientist Dr. Andrew Steele is one of the many medical professionals featured in the Netflix Original film, with him going into the history of rapamycin. According to Dr. Steele, studies have shown that rapamycin has extended the lifespan of mice that it has been tested on. However, there is no data on the effects of rapamycin use for life expansion reasons on humans. The drug can cause dangerous bacterial infections, however, with Johnson monitoring this after taking rapamycin.

4

Doctors Claim That Bryan Johnson Makes “Almost No Contribution To Science”

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_46_42_06

Throughout Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, Bryan Johnson constantly talks about the scientific benefits of Project Blueprint and his health endeavors, with him saying that he wants to live on the edge of life expansion and anti-aging treatments. However, several doctors featured in the documentary question the efficacy of Johnson’s treatments, with Dr. Vadim Gladyshev and Dr. Andrew Steele saying that, since he is undergoing so many treatments, it is impossible to tell which ones are actually working.

Dr. Steele tells a story about how Johnson blocked him on Twitter after he suggested that the millionaire should use some of his wealth to fund actual scientific trials. Dr. Gladyshev then states that Johnson’s endeavors have “almost no contribution to science.” Although the doctors do describe ways in which Johnson could help in these fields, the methods that he is currently using don’t seem to be providing much actual data.

3

Bryan Johnson Exchanges Plasma With His Son In Order To Become Younger

Which Led To His Further Fame

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_16_49_01

One of the things that really popularized Johnson’s anti-aging techniques online is his exchange of plasma with his son. One of the doctors featured in Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever describes why some believe that these plasma transfusions can have anti-aging benefits. According to the documentary, there was an experiment where two mice were sewn together, with blood from the younger mouse circulating through the older mouse. This blood allegedly lowered the epigenetic age of the older mouse by 50%.

Rather than sewing Bryan and his son together, they instead use a blood transfusion to exchange plasma, with Bryan hoping that it will lower his epigenetic age as well. Bryan and Talmage even brought Bryan’s father into the mix, with him getting plasma from Bryan. Although the results of this practice are still unclear, it is one of the most controversial things explored in Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever.

2

Bryan Left His Fiancée After She Developed Breast Cancer

According To A Lawsuit

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_38_24_23

Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever also delves into the controversy surrounding Bryan Johnson leaving his fiancée. According to the documentary, Johnson and Taryn Southern met in 2016 and began a relationship shortly after, with her becoming financially dependent on Johnson. People explains that Southern’s October 2021 lawsuit claims that “Johnson demanded Ms. Southern’s devotion of her time and creative energy to his personal needs and professional aspirations.”

The lawsuit claims that Johnson demanded that Southern move out in October 2019 as she was undergoing chemotherapy, leaving her with no source of income to pay for her medical needs. In the documentary, Johnson explains that his relationship with Taryn Southern has made it difficult for him to enter new relationships, with him claiming that he is concerned that any future partners may have ulterior motives.

1

Minicircle Is A Honduras-Based Company That Does Gene Therapy For Bryan

He Claims It Increased His Muscle Mass

Don't_Die_The_Man_Who_Wants_to_Live_Forever_00_31_37_09

One of Bryan Johnson’s most extreme life expansion techniques involves a gene therapy company known as Minicircle. Minicircle operates out of Próspera, a special economic zone found on in Roatán, Honduras, with it allowing for experiments like Minicircle’s gene therapy as long as they operate under an ethics review board. Minicircle claims that, unlike most other gene therapies, its gene therapies don’t integrate into the DNA, allowing it to be reversed with one of several kill switches.

25 Best American History Documentaries on Netflix

Related

24 Best American History Documentaries On Netflix

There are a ton of historical documentaries on Netflix to choose from and these explore some of the most famous events in American history.

Posts

According to the documentary, Bryan Johnson underwent follistatin gene therapy at Minicircle. The credits say that “six months after receiving follistating gene therapy, Bryan’s muscle mass increased by 7%.” Johnson has returned for more Minicircle gene therapy since, with this being one of the biggest reveals in Netflix’s Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever.

Sources: Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, Medium, People

Don't Die- The Man Who Wants to Live Forever - Poster

Your Rating

close

10 stars

9 stars

8 stars

7 stars

6 stars

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Rate Now

0/10

Your comment has not been saved

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

My List

My Favorite Movies
My Watchlist

Success!

Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever

PG-13
Documentary

Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever is a documentary by Chris Smith exploring wealthy entrepreneur Bryan Johnson’s quest to defy aging. Johnson invests significant resources to push the boundaries of human longevity, risking his body and fortune in pursuit of extending his lifespan.

Where to Watch

  • stream
  • rent
  • buy

Not available

Not available

Not available

*Availability in US

Release Date

January 1, 2025

Runtime

88 Minutes

Main Genre

Documentary

Director

Chris Smith