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THE STATE — New movies seem hard to come by these days; and I don’t know about you, but I miss the movie theater.
While we may not be heading to the movies these days, there are some new flicks popping up on streaming services here and there that are worth catching.
The latest worth taking a look at is the Apple TV+ documentary "Boys State." Before you say documentaries aren’t for you, hear me out. This movie is one of the most engaging docs I’ve seen in a long time.
What is it?
American Legion Boys State is a program where students are selected and then create a political party, vote in politicians and propose reform. Boys State was founded in 1935, and states across the country hold their own. There is also a Girls State, but this movie focuses on Boys State in Texas.
The movie follows just a handful of the over 1,000 17-year-olds as they vie for office, mudsling the opponent and trying to create honest change for the future of our country and our youth.
"Boys State" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020 and won the U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Prize.
Why it’s great
When the two-hour film starts, you have no idea that you’re about to be taken on an emotional ride where you pick sides, get passionate about fake legislation, and find yourself cheering at the end of some speeches while holding back tears during others.
The boys are split up into two political parties: the Federalists and the Nationalists. They then have the week to hold primary elections for their party’s nominee for governor. After that the nominees and their teams campaign to become the governor of Boys State, the highest position that can be held.
When I started getting to know the players, I had no idea I would become so involved in the race and the politics.
These are a bunch of 17-year-old boys without their parents for a week, and a lot of the crass and nonsensical shenanigans you’d assume would take place do — but that’s just on the surface. Soon you come to know these young politicians and quickly gravitate one way or the other; you’ll find yourself pulling for your candidate and his party.
You can’t help but become entrenched in the election; and as much as you’ll fight it, you’re going to get emotionally involved.
Politics has never been a clean game, but seeing it exposed by teenage boys is sobering, You see people willing to lie about their political beliefs to win a vote and personally attack and try to destroy the character of fellow teens to get ahead in the polls. It shows that few honest and sincere politicians exist, even in a fake government society run by young men who still aren’t old enough to vote.
The film gives you hope for our country and its future leaders while simultaneously planting a seed of fear and concern that the future of our country is in the hands of these young leaders.
I’ve seen plenty of documentaries that educate and entertain me, but rarely have I seen one that pulls me in so strongly on an emotional level. When the newly elected governor was about to be announced toward the end of the film, I could feel my heart beating out of my chest because I needed my candidate to win. I needed the young man that I believed in to win so he could rule for one day over a fabricated government set up to help teach young men the power and responsibility of politics.
Rarely does a movie have that kind of an impact, but "Boys State" is that kind of movie.
To go with the intrigue and emotion is also a lot of entertainment. You won’t be able to stop yourself from laughing at moments as you see these young men be teenage boys. The talent show auditions are really something to behold.
'Minari,' 'Boys State' win top honors at Sundance
The Korean-American family drama “Minari,” Lee Isaac Chung's tender autobiographical tale about his upbringing in rural Arkansas, won two top honors at the Sundance Film Festival.Why it may not be for you
As with most documentaries "Boys State" starts off a little slow as you get into what is going on.
If your attention span isn’t set up for it, you’ll find yourself struggling the first 15 minutes or so. But the slow start doesn’t last long, and you’ll be all in before you know it.
Once you get to know the cast of characters, you’ll buy in and two hours won’t be enough.
Should I watch it?
I think this is a movie to experience. I learned things I didn’t know existed and found out I’m passionate about topics I didn’t know I cared about so much. I also have some new Instagram accounts I now follow as I want to see what becomes of these boys.
If documentaries aren’t your speed, I’d still suggest giving "Boys State" a try because your view on the documentary film genre may change.
"Boys State" is rated PG-13 for some strong language and thematic elements. The language comes in one scene, in one sentence toward the end of the film.
How you can watch it
The streaming platform Apple TV+ bought the rights to "Boys State" and premiered it on the service on Aug. 14.
A subscription is required to watch the movie. If you buy an Apple device the service is free for one year. Otherwise, you can get a free 7-day trial and then it costs $4.99 a month following the trial.
