As documentaries go, They Called Him Mostly Harmless is pretty standard, if not forgettable, fare. There isn’t a lot of information regarding the case it focuses on, so it relies heavily on interviews with related persons and “internet sleuths” who have taken it upon themselves to solve the mystery of this hiker’s identity. It moves slowly, bogged even further down by unnecessary backstories that do nothing to get us closer to cracking the case. To be sure, it’s impressive that the missing man in question was able to scrub all evidence of his existence in this digital age, but the documentary fails to build on that intrigue and instead gives us something that sputters till the end.

In a sea of grim documentaries centered on serial killers, I’m just relieved this true crime story goes the other direction. It’s less about death than it is about a tight-knit community that banded together to help a member of the community find his peace. The best part about this documentary is that it’s hopeful, the worst part is everything else.