This Disturbing Documentary About A Man On A Rampage Is Now Free To Watch
Tread is a true crime documentary from a director normally known for his genre output. Paul Solet was at the helm of memorable horror efforts like Grace, Dark Summer, and a segment in the excellent Tales of Halloween anthology. Though the move from narrative cinema to documentary filmmaking is something of a pivot for Solet, the subject matter feels like a logical segue. His documentary Tread is a macabre story and Solet is no stranger to the macabre.
Tread tells the story of Marvin Heemeyer and a fascinating story it is. Marvin came to Granby, Colorado as an outsider and started a muffler repair shop. As he began to integrate into the community, Marvin locked horns with some of the local officials. He took issue with the local politics. And after a series of perceived slights, Marvin became convinced that God had called upon him to build a giant bulldozer and settle the score by demolishing the livelihood of those he identified as enemies. Causalities of his rampage included the Granby Town Hall, rival businesses, and more.
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As it turns out, Marvin was likely Marvin’s own biggest adversary. While there may have been a small amount of merit to some of his complaints, it seems as though the majority of grievances were not grounded in any kind of reality. He seems to have been the sweeping judgment type. Case in point: In one of his audio-cassette recordings obtained for the doc, he says the following of one of his perceived enemies: “He’s a Catholic and I think they are some of the biggest cowards I have ever met.” A lot of his thinking seems to stem from a similar place, where he paints with a broad stroke and discounts an entire group of people on something as seemingly innocuous as religious affiliation.
Marv’s paranoia ran far deeper than just making sweeping judgments about his fellow townsfolk. Anyone unwilling to drop everything to serve his needs was quickly labeled an enemy. He may have had a handful of real enemies. But he was quick to label just about anyone as an adversary for nearly any reason. One such example saw Marv determining that a reporter at the local paper was out to get him and wanted his business to fail because a planned article on Marv’s business fell through the cracks. In an attempt to smooth matters over, the newspaper gave Marvin a free ad spot in the paper. But that did little to persuade Marv that no ill will was intended.
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Marvin eventually filed litigation against the city of Granby and when he didn’t win the suit, he began to believe his attorney was also out to get him. Marvin came to believe that his lawyer was motivated solely by financial gain. Marv further lambasted his legal counsel for not wanting to appeal the court’s decision to dismiss the case. But that goes directly against his previous assertion that his lawyer was driven solely by financial gain. An appeal would have been an opportunity to bilk more cash out of Marvin. But it sounds very much like the attorney knew that an appeal was frivolous and declined to file on that basis.
We eventually learn that Marvin had several opportunities to settle his grievances peacefully. But he always came away convinced he was a helpless victim. And that lack of perspective and insistence that he was being victimized led him to double and triple down on (what he believed to be) righteous indignation. If he had taken a moment to look at the bigger picture and think logically, he might have been able to prevent the descent into total madness that ultimately transpired. However, I suspect Marvin experienced a variety of mental health challenges that kept him from being able to see his situation for what it was.
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Marvin pushed forward with his destructive agenda and interpreted arbitrary occurrences as guidance from God. The idea that his intentions were righteous and divinely ordained only seemed to further his delusions. The way Marvin’s story concludes is absolutely surreal. It very much feels like a work of fiction, yet it is anything but.
If you’re curious to see the doc for yourself, you can check Tread out for free (with ads) on Tubi, as of the publication of this post.
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