Boys State Review

2020 has been a year rife with excellent, powerful and groundbreaking documentaries, from bold and daring in the vein of Welcome to Chechnya and The Infiltrators to the empowering in Disclosure. Now, directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss continue this high streak with Boys State, A24's newest release on Apple TV, and perhaps the best documentary so far this year.

Boys State follows a year of Texas Boys State, an organization that allows aspiring youth to get early experience in the political system by forming political parties and creating a mock government. What follows is engaging and entertaining on multiple levels, and McBaine and Moss expertly weave footage and interviews together into a study of American bipartisan democracy in all of its pros and cons, using the experience of teenage boys at summer camp as a microcosm.

What's impressive about Boys State is just how seamlessly McBaine and Moss are able to tell a coherent and engaging narrative entirely through the perspective of their subjects. Aside from a telltale quote at the beginning of the film, the narrative is dominated by four young aspiring politicians with extremely different beliefs, outlooks and methods. The four of them only occassionally interact, yet they all feel like immensely integral parts of a much larger whole.

This level of professionalism and craftsmanship is present in nearly every aspect of production. The pacing rivals that of an expertly crafted narrative film, the cinematography is incredibly crisp and well framed, the interviews are informative and well placed and do a lot to add context for both the situation and the characters, the audio is well mixed and immersive, and the overall narrative is as gripping as it is entertaining.

The heart of the film, however, lies in its real life characters and politics. Each of the four main characters the film focuses on represents a different outlook, a different background, and a different view on the role of politics and politicians in daily life. Steven Garza is a young progressive inspired by Bernie Sanders, who wants to use politics to bring people together and help them. Rene Otero is a liberal looking to expand his mind with new viewpoints and create a unified political front. Ben Feinstein is a disabled prodigy leading the pack, viewing his favorite politicans almost like superstars and wanting to follow in their footsteps and suceed at all costs. Finally, Robert Macdougal is a brilliant opportunist, adopting new policies and beliefs that will help in his political career rather than sticking to his own convictions.

These four serve as a catalyst through which to explore the different facets of US politics, and both the pros and cons of our current democracy. Right away, the 1100 some boys in Boys State are randomly separated into two different parties; the Nationalists and the Federalists. Each party are attempting to compete with one another before they even have platforms, and this reality goes on to define the entire experience. From day one, the main goal is simple; to beat the other party, and while there's a lot of discussion about politics and legitimate debate and campaigning, it all sort of feels like a glorified high school football match. One gets the sense that only a few people are actually here to try and learn how to better lead the country and improve people's lives, and the rest are here to win - no matter how many dirty tricks they have to pull.

This is where the filmmakers best demonstrate their ability to perfectly walk the line between picking out a message and theme within the narrative they've captured but also allowing the subjects to speak for themselves and the audience to draw their own conclusions. Is Steven Garza the best option? Were Ben Feinstein's tactics underhanded and uncalled for? The filmmakers seem to think so, but they also spend time allowing Feinstein and Garza's opponents to make their case and let their voice be heard.

The conclusion seems to be that bipartisan politics is not about leading and helping the country to be a better, happier and healthier place, but about winning. The Nationalists' main goal is to beat the Federalists, and vice versa, just as the Democrats' main goal is the beat the Republicans, and vice versa. In Boys State, the difference between the two party's platforms is negligible at best, and while the real deal hasmore nuance and less hormones, it's starting to feel the exact same way. I believe it's important to note that this isn't necessarily a centrist film with a centrist message; the message isn't "both sides are extreme" but "neither side is truly on the side of the people, save for certain individuals."

As someone who is into politics and increasingly interested in documentaries, Boys State is one of the best of the year for both, for its ability to engage the audience in profesional, entertaining and thought provoking material. It cuts right to the heart of its subjects with a professional ease, and presents a fascinating narrative. Its one of the better curiosities to come out of the quarantine On Demand spike, and one of the better films of the year overall.