Chris Hemsworth, the famous actor who has played many different roles, including Thor the God of Thunder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been involved in a number of different series and specials produced by National Geographic. In each of these, Chris has been pushing himself to his limits or surfing with sharks. However, now Chris reveals a more personal and emotional side of himself as he returns in National Geographic’s Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember.
What Is Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember?
Today, more than 57 million people worldwide are living with dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease the most common cause. And every year, there are a staggering 10 million new cases of dementia worldwide, which begs the question: What can we do to help those affected by it? This question is what motivated Chris Hemsworth to return with his most personal mission yet: Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember . Moving beyond his own health as featured in the Limitless series, in this deeply emotional special, Chris embarks on an intimate motorcycle journey across Australia with his father, Craig, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, to rekindle memories and strengthen their bond, exploring the effective science of connection, community and nostalgia — crucial but often overlooked tools in protecting brain health.
In this touching and uplifting journey, inspired by Craig’s recent diagnosis, Chris and his father set out on their motorcycles on a “road trip back in time,” visiting people and places from their shared past, from suburban Melbourne to the wild expanses of Australia’s Northern Territories, to explore the profound science of social connection. Through the stunning, vast landscapes of Australia, Chris and Craig’s journey becomes a funny and moving exploration of a father and son’s bond, proving that love, community and shared experience can be potent medicine.
Their adventure, some of which Chris films himself, is guided by Dr. Suraj Samtani, a dementia specialist and clinical psychologist at the University of New South Wales Centre for Healthy Brain Aging, who worked with producers in collaboration with the Hemsworth family over the course of a year.
Dr. Samtani’s research, along with a recent global study of over 40,000 people across 14 countries, found that those who maintained regular social interactions cut their risk of developing dementia in half, with evidence showing that strong social connections can even slow cognitive decline after diagnosis. This critical finding provides the scientific foundation for the trip’s key beats, including the following:
- Reminiscence Therapy: revisiting past experiences by talking to someone about them, using objects from the past (like photos or home videos), or visiting places from the past is a great way to boost cognition.
- Social Connection: regular interactions, like talking with a friend or having a confidante, are shown to reduce the risk of early mortality.
- Social Bridging: participating in wider community activities, like volunteering or group walks, is linked to slower rates of cognitive decline.
“My Dad and I had always spoken about taking a trip back to the Northern Territory, where our family had lived years ago, but we had never been able to set aside the time to actually do it,” said Chris Hemsworth. “More recently the idea of taking that road trip reemerged with more pressing importance. The result was a more profound, more moving, and more surprising journey than I ever anticipated.”
The one-hour documentary, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa, Jane Root’s Nutopia, and Chris Hemsworth and Ben Grayson’s Wild State, premieres November 23 at 9/8c on National Geographic and streams the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
NatGeo.com has also recently published an article on the research behind the show titled “The disturbing connection between loneliness and dementia”. It can be found here.
Why You Should See Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember
I have enjoyed the work of Chris Hemsworth both on the big screen as well as on television including the two seasons of Limitless and his National Geographic special, Shark Beach, all of which are currently streaming on Disney+. Over the past few years, National Geographic has been creating some incredible shows and series for Disney+ and Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember is another great example. Unlike most documentary series where the viewer is just watching and learning interesting facts, this show really engages the viewers’ emotions as it explores the trials faced by many families who have a family member with some type of dementia. Our family and some of our friends have experienced the challenges of dementia including Alzheimer’s so this production had a personal interest to me. I am fascinated by the new research presented in this show as we learn more about how the brain works. I highly recommend Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember even if you usually don’t watch National Geographic shows.
Be sure to watch Chris Hemsworth: A Road Trip To Remember when it premieres on Nat Geo TV on Sunday November 23 at 9/8c and begins streaming on Disney+ on Hulu the following day. Here is a trailer for the show.
