When Anthony Bourdain took his own life in the summer of 2018, the culinary world – and those who followed it – were shocked. After all, this was a man who had so much going for him: a fast-paced and high-profile career, a young daughter, the chance to travel the world and explore food and culture. He seemed to have everything and then he was gone. The documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain doesn’t have answer as to what made Bourdain commit suicide, but it does offer a clear-eyed look at the man he was – how he rose from the ranks of New York kitchens to international superstardom as an author and television personality – and what he was like in his final months on this planet.
For fans of Bourdain, the documentary is a must-watch, as it looks at the man behind the public persona and will provide greater insight into who they looked up to. Personally, as someone who loved Kitchen Confidential and watched as many episodes of No Reservations and Parts Unknown as I could get my hands on, I know I learned a hell of a lot more about Bourdain than I knew before.
The greatest strength of the film is its reliance of a wide swath of individuals who knew Bourdain throughout his life – his brother, his ex-wife, the production staff on his television shows, fellow chefs he maintained a close relationship with. Interspersing their thoughts, memories, and interactions with Bourdain from the onset of his fame to the last days of his life alongside film of Bourdain himself makes the documentary feel wholly realized. These are the people who spent the most time with the main behind the image, and their recollections lend a layer of complexity that cannot be grasped from simply looking at behind the scenes footage and telling the basics of Bourdain’s life – warts and all. The audience is able to watch Bourdain’s meteoric rise to the top of the culinary entertainment world, experience the joy he felt at becoming a father, the frustration at not being around his daughter more due to his grueling filming schedule, the development of his agoraphobia, and the manic spiral his life began to take in the final years of his life. Through it all, those who knew Bourdain the best attempt to grapple with what might have caused a man with everything to live for to do the unthinkable.
The final twenty minutes of the film – the section that delves into Bourdain’s suicide – are incredibly hard to watch. All the pontificating and guessing in the world can’t really pinpoint why someone would take their own life, and while some of the interviewees try to reason it out, there’s no clear answer to be had. But all of those interviewed are still visibly hurt and trying to heal from the loss of their friend, family member, and colleague, even years after the fact. It’s hard to watch, but those moments cement the true story of Anthony Bourdain – a force of nature who left those in his orbit changed fundamentally by having known and loved him. While Bourdain might not have been the same as the persona he cultivated, as is so often the case with those in the public eye, after watching the film you will walk away appreciating his contributions to the world even more than you did going in. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is a special film about a special person.
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain is currently playing in theatres.
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