I, Psychopath

I, psychopath follows Sam Vaknin, a diagnosed narcissist and self-professed psychopath, as he travels across Europe with his wife Lidija and documentary-maker Ian Walker in search of a diagnosis for psychopathy. Walker’s main motivation is to gain an understanding of the mind-set and life of a psychopath.

Vaknin, a convicted former corporate criminal, earns the confidence of his subjects and then taunts them with what he knows they hold dear. Through their journey, Vaknin works to earn Walker’s trust, and when he gleans even the slightest personal information about the director, he goes for the kill. In most of the stops they make, he manages to rile up Walker by referring to things he knows are going to touch a nerve. Scientists around Europe certify Vaknin as scoring highly in a test for psychopathic traits, and even his wife is not shaken when he gruffly reveals his ambivalent feelings toward her.

I, psychopath ends with Walker revealing the impact the documentary had on his self-confidence and worth.