Twenty years ago a young American hiker Chris McCandless, the accomplished son of successful middle-class parents, was found dead in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness. Return to the Wild is a gripping documentary about the life and death of a promising young man whose tragic end inspired the best-selling book and film Into the Wild. The documentary features new details about the mysterious case, including Chris McCandless’ own words in previously unreleased letters he wrote before he disappeared and died in Alaska.

Return to the Wild retraces McCandless’ steps, trying to understand why he severed all ties with his past, burnt or gave away all his money, changed his name, and hiked into the Denali Wilderness. McCandless’ own letters, released for the first time—plus new and surprising interviews—shed light on a private mystery that became a public obsession and continues to confound so many to this day.