Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened  ★★★

IF YOU are a denigrater of the current generation, look no further than the documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened for evidence.

Not only does the film present people who don’t give a damn who they de-fraud – the grander the scale the better – it also documents the unquestioning lengths others will go to experience a vacuous, fleeting glimpse of fame and furtune.

If it looks too good to be true, then it probably isn’t, goes the tried and true advice.

Now remind the thousands of adult millennials who collectively wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on a scam perpetrated by so-called American entrepreneur William Z. McFarland,

In 2013, McFarland founded Magnises, a company that marketed a charge card targeted as being exclusive and high-end. He later founded and acted as CEO of Fyre Media, which developed a mobile app for booking music talent.

In 2016, along with rapper Ja Rule, they promoted the Fyre Festival, a luxury music festival meant to take place the following year on a privately-owned island in the Bahamas.

The event was badly organised throughout, but nothing would stop the organisers from promising the world to a gullible on-line society clientele desperate to be involved in something that claimed to provide exclusive access to the lives of the rich and famous but was in fact just taking their money hand over fist.

At the last minute, with guests having spent an initial horrendous night at the location in make-shift tents, the festival was cancelled due to a litany of organisational and logistics problems. Not only were the patrons left out of pocket but also the contractors who worked on the festival, including many local people.

McFarland and Ja Rule were sued for $100 million in a class action lawsuit and McFarland was eventually convicted of fraud over his role and sentenced to a prison term. Even today, in early 2019, the controversy continues with debate over whether McFarland is still in jail.

Chris Smith, director and producer of several fine documentaries, including American Movie from 1999, presents the story in a logical, engaging and visually interesting way with extensive footage and access to many of those involved on the organisational side.

The footage provides a disturbing vision of the delusion suffered by those around McFarland and the man himself who remains unrepentant to the bitter end, even hamming to the camera starting another scam while awaiting trial.

I can’t be bothered writing any more because it just makes me angry to think there are so many gullible, fame-chasers willing to make people like McFarland rich. It’s a good doco, but man it’s depressing.