Raygun’s new Netflix documentary has drawn mixed reviews as the Australian Olympian continues to build a public profile from the viral reaction to her zero-point performance at the Paris 2024 Games.
Rachael Gunn, who performs under the name Raygun, became an international meme after representing Australia in breaking, which made its Olympic debut in Paris. Her routine, including a kangaroo hop, failed to earn a point and saw her finish last in the competition.
The performance prompted intense media scrutiny and widespread online mockery. The documentary, Raygun: Breaking Badly, follows Gunn’s journey to the Olympics and the backlash that followed.
Some viewers have accused the 38-year-old of prolonging her brief period of internet fame, while others have praised her for confronting the abuse and continuing to tell her story.
Raygun documentary examines Olympic backlash
The film explores how Gunn qualified for the Games after winning the Oceania regional event in late 2023, as well as the training programme she undertook with her husband and coach, Samuel Free.
Gunn recognised that she could not match the athleticism and high-powered moves of younger international competitors. Free therefore encouraged her to take a different approach, creating a routine inspired by Australia that included movements based on swimming and the now-famous kangaroo freeze.
“I was like, ‘As your husband, I am in awe of how hard you’re working. Props to you. As your coach, you need to work harder. This is not clean’,” Free says in the film.
The documentary also charts the anxiety, panic attacks and online vitriol Gunn experienced after the Olympics. Other dancers offer less flattering assessments of her skills, while Free remains strongly supportive of her performance and creative decisions.
Criticism over ‘cashing in’
Gunn’s profile has continued to generate income since the Games. In April, she revealed that she had accepted voluntary redundancy from her job as a lecturer at Sydney’s Macquarie University amid cuts to its arts department.
She subsequently launched a website offering her services as a guest speaker or event host. The subjects listed include resilience, mental health, online attention, women in sport, breaking barriers and “going viral (and staying grounded)”.
She also joined Cameo, where fans could buy personalised video messages for about $94. The moves have prompted accusations that she is “cashing in” on the Olympic routine.
One Facebook user described the documentary as “a cringey attempt to cash in on brief internet fame”, arguing that it was “the absolute milking of five minutes of fame”. Other reviewers said the film treated the Olympic performance so seriously that it became unintentionally funny or appeared like a parody.
Questions have also been raised about the film’s independence because members of Gunn’s management team were executive producers.
Despite those criticisms, some viewers have found the documentary light-hearted and moving. One Instagram user said Gunn’s story was “truly inspiring”, adding that “not everyone has the guts to do what you did and after all, keep doing it”.
