Boys State

I don’t know that I’ve seen a movie this year that simultaneously depressed the hell out of me and filled me with hope like Boys State.

What makes Boys State so compelling is it appeals both to the most cynical and hopeful of viewers.

Forget who wins or loses, Boys State is about that promise of change in the air. And it’s exhilarating.

Boys State is a portrait of the country in microcosm: divided, but not yet irredeemably lost.

With so much attention paid to the campaign trail, Boys State fails to show us how the waterworks get built.

The filmmakers illustrate that governmental power is a fickle thing, prone to exploitation and good will alike, depending on who decides to pursue its offices.

Boys State inevitably feels more and more like reality TV programming, which is both appropriate for our times and depressing.

This documentary really succeeds in portraying these young kids and how divided the USA really is. Their election felt so real. Some parts of this felt like the USA is beyond repair, and 2 minutes later you see kids that speak with so much passion about issues who real politicians try to ignore. Especially Steven Garza who tried to unite a mostly conservative crowd with some liberal talking points were quite impressive. Elections evolved into something very entertaining in the USA, that’s equally bad and good, but it also explains why this documentary about a Mock-Election is so much fun.

Wow. This is such a fantastic documentary, and probably the best film of the year. Even if you disagree with the politics of these kids, you should still be able to recognize how well made the doc is. please don't trash a political movie only because it is political.

Amazing doc, a microcosmic viewpoint of the state of the US today (well, pre-COVID anyway). At times enraging but ultimately uplifting, I can't wait to follow up on some of these kids incredibly bright futures. Garza 2036!!!!!

Boys State has been happening all over the US since 1937, but this documentary follows the annual event in Texas: a thousand high school seniors participate in a week-long exercise to build their own state government. The filmmakers followed several young men as they pursued their goals for elected office. Interestingly, the conflicts mirror the divisions in this country and even the sometimes shady machinations of politics. Besides the obvious political statements the doc makes, there’s very little personal insight into the adolescents and there are gaps in the development of some of proceedings. Even so, it’s a fascinating study of the over-stimulated approaches of adolescent males seasoned with the reality of the contradictions of government and politics.

Boys State is an excellent foray into the world of youth political role play and the passion with which many young people have toward their future in that space. As an Australian, this concept is foreign to us across the Pacific, so perhaps my fascination is fuelled by the spectacle of 1000+ high school lads playing out a political system with their own district, state and governor hierarchy with a final push to “win” governance of the “Boys State”. The following of the week long spectacle, some of its chief protagonists and the election process was certainly enthralling to watch. The passion of these young men for their (largely conservative) beliefs and the decision of, say, personal pro life/choice or gun control belief candidates to either stand their ground on their values vs alter them for political popularity is very interesting. When I apply an Australian lens over this democratic process (I feel we are more liberal even with a conservative government in power - especially on matters such as firearms) it is as much an education for me as the drama going on. Truly a fascinating capture of this process. Some detractors: I feel that some key people (especially one in particular) got virtually no air time. Maybe they declined, but I felt there was room here to balance the relationship building with various candidates rather than focus largely on just three. Also, Apple TV need to check their quality control - there’s a period half way in where the audio loses sync with the picture. I thought it was me but I switched devices and even platforms and the issue persists on all three. Overall though this is a decent production and I hope they give us a glimpse of Girls State next time given future female leaders go through their own separate process.