'Boys State' film review: Upsetting, inspiring & captivating ride for political junkies
Mudslinging, political controversy, dirty politicking, politically biased media - this whirlwind film is a near perfect microcosm of every election cycle. Watching tomorrow's leaders take part in a week-long, whiplash-inducing emotional rollercoaster of a mock-political campaign makes the political documentary 'Boy State' (streaming on AppleTV+ on Aug. 14) part disturbing, part inspiring and 100-percent riveting.
In short: More than one thousand teenage boys, from various backgrounds, assemble in Texas for an annual event to build a representative government from the ground up - with one of the boys campaigning for Boys State governor.
Politics in 2020 ... is a divisive subject. And listening to these teens parrot talking points from political pundits is itself wholly intriguing. For real: it's fascinating just watching these kids affirm their stances on hot-button issues - and see modern topics embraced and discussed by high school students. But any fair review of 'Boy State' must divorce itself from the political positions held by these high school boys, and instead focus on this film's meta-attempt to comment on politics by way of teens thrust into an odd social experiment whose notable alumni includes Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, pundit Rush Limbaugh and former president Bill Clinton. Seeing just a few of the influential people who have taken part in past Boys State immediately informs the audience that Boys State is an event everyone should be on everyone's radar.
'Boys State' is an ouroboros-like experience that captures everything wrong with modern politics and an optimistic hope for what political discourse can be. It's utterly compelling to watch young people so keenly aware of what is wrong and right with today's political apparatus - and then watch them all-too naturally slip into familiar political tropes of operative, centrist and empty campaign promises.
Frankly it's chilling to watch one group of randomly assembled students be split into two political groups - and be set so easily and eagerly against each other. Each political party is a blank slate, freed of any mainstream platform expectations ... yet it's discouraging to watch them fall into familiar patterns all too often featured in the 24-hour news cycle. Students are thrown into one of two groups - and without knowing the platforms or views of "the other," these kids automatically go into "we must dominate the other side" mode. Given the opportunity to create something - anything - entirely new, watching tomorrow's leaders just recreate what already exists, from partisanship down to the mudslinging, is alarming. That said, 'Boy State' avoids being one-note cynical by weaving in threads of inspiring personalities and the pursuit of thoughtful political discourse.
Even when 'Boys State' reflects on the more ridiculous antics inherent to any group of teen boys - such as crafting laws on pizza toppings and alien invasion - these moments, as silly as they are, ring with a disturbing familiarity. It's impossible to ignore the straight line between students crafting, absurd anti-cargo pants based legislative bills and the immature antics of their real-life and much-older actual elected officials. Perhaps the most depressing and upsetting aspects of 'Boys State' is how a hyperbolic, mock political campaign so perfectly mirrors the circus of real-life politics.
The key to what makes 'State' exceptional is its grounded focus on the personalities and individual aspiring politicians rather trying to take on every facet of this week-long student event. With more than a thousand boys competing in various political races, 'Boys State' is wise to limit its scope mostly to a handful of boys fighting to win the gubernatorial race. This approach keeps the doc grounded in the humanity behind politics, and what drives these young men - especially in their refreshingly candid talking head segments.
An interesting aspect of 'Boys State' is what the film doesn't show. While the American Legion Boys State program is an all-male event, the documentary briefly alludes to a separate, all-female Girls State event (sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary). This tantalizing hint does pique the interest and demands the question "what is Girls State like?" This film's laser focus is its strength - but wondering what Girls State looks like is a question that cannot help but be asked.
Final verdict: Beyond all the political tribalism and rhetoric, 'State' is an utterly fascinating dissection of American politics, touching base on everything from campaigning to hot-button talking points. Watching this snapshot of tomorrow's leaders is as inspiring as it is distressing.
Score: 4.5/5
'Boy State' streams on AppleTV+ starting Aug. 14. This documentary is rated PG-13 for some strong language, and thematic elements.
