My Review of BOYS STATE (2020)

This movie got me riled up and glued to the race pretty quickly; it feels rare to find a documentary that can be recommended to nearly anyone, but Boys State is equal parts thrilling, funny, and important. The microcosm of the high-school program packs a lot of drama into one week that could rival any real election and the handful of main guys that the camera chooses to follow each offer a different perspective of the imaginary campaign trail. Standouts include Rene, who showed up ready to flaunt his liberalism but ends up knee-deep in controversy, and Steven, whose rousing speeches gave him an impressive amount of traction for someone so grounded.