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20-10-2025 Vol 19

The Man Who Saves the World? Review: A Documentary That Asks: “Can You Believe This?”

The most interesting thing about Gabe Polsky’s new documentary The Man Who Saves the World? is that it is unsure of its intentions. The film tells the story of Patrick McCollum, a spiritual leader living in Moraga, California. The twist is this: certain Indigenous leaders in the Amazon believed Patrick is the answer to an ancient prophecy––the one who will unite and save the world.

It’s ridiculous. And yet, Polsky captures the reason why it’s compelling: McCollum believes it without a shadow of a doubt. He is fully bought into this calling, convinced that if these wise elders say he is the man to save the world, then he is the man to save the world. We learn about McCollum and his rather unbelievable life before any of this even began. Here is a man who has lived many lives, to the point of parody. Polsky is smart to keep his subject in the frame as much as possible and capture all of what he’s saying. At a brisk runtime of just over 80 minutes before credits, one wonders how many stories editor Philip Owens had to abandon on the cutting room floor. There are so many tragedies and so many joys packed in here, all told from McCollum’s point of view with disarming matter-of-factness. He is, at once, fully aware of the absurdities of his story and unfazed by them.

At a certain point, Polsky (who narrates) inserts himself into scenes, questioning the validity of the prophecy. It becomes the central conflict of the back half of The Man Who Saves the World? Who was the elder who told Patrick he was the chosen one? And why did he say it? And does he even remember saying it? And was it translated correctly into English? And, perhaps most importantly, how is Patrick going to save the world? These are good questions, asked directly by the filmmaker either in his voiceover or in questions to his subjects. That Polsky steps back from his film to question the motivations of its reason for being is frankly fascinating. The investigation into this rationale alone is worth the experience. Will McCollum be unwavering in his commitment? Will these tribespeople be as well? It seems silly to spoil. Suffice it to say we get answers and rationalizations that lead to some sort of resolution.

Ultimately, The Man Who Saves the World? is a film about belief and intention. Polsky sees the good in McCollum, and it’s easy to know why. It reminds me of a conversation about religion I’ve had with my mother a few times over the years. Being raised Catholic, at a certain point most question the myriad hypocrisies between the message and the mechanism. When I would confront my mom about these worries, she would acknowledge the same worry and then admit, “I like having something to believe in. It makes me feel better.” It’s an alarmingly simple, nearly comforting notion. The Man Who Saves the World? captures this feeling. Will Patrick McCollum save the world? Probably not. But wouldn’t that be great if he did?

The Man Who Saves the World? opens in theaters on October 17.

The post The Man Who Saves the World? Review: A Documentary That Asks: “Can You Believe This?” first appeared on The Film Stage.

Filip

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