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.
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, will premiere on National Geographic (DStv 181, StarTimes 220) across Africa on Sunday 16 November 2025 at 6:50 PM (CAT), and will be available on Disney+ in South Africa.
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."
Recently, National Geographic released LIMITLESS: LIVE BETTER NOW, where Chris took on epic challenges to reveal ways we can all live better today. In the “Brain Power” episode, he took on a brain-boosting challenge - playing “Thinking Out Loud” on stage with Ed Sheeran before 70,000 fans in Bucharest - a moment that’s since racked up nearly 35 million views across Chris’, Ed’s and Nat Geo's social platforms. A global hit, season one of LIMITLESS is National Geographic’s second most-watched streaming series ever, with nearly half its audience coming from international viewers.
CHRIS HEMSWORTH: A ROAD TRIP TO REMEMBER is produced by Protozoa, Nutopia and Wild State for National Geographic. Tom Watt-Smith, Peter Lovering, Arif Nurmohamed and Jane Root serve as executive producers for Nutopia. Creators Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel of Protozoa return to executive produce, and Chris Hemsworth, Ben Grayson and Brandon Hill are executive producers for Wild State. Tom Barbor-Might directs the documentary. For National Geographic, Bengt Anderson and Simon Raikes are executive producers.
How to tune in:
DSTV: Channel 181
StarTimes: 220 on DTH, 220 on DTT (249 on DTT in Uganda)
