Cinema has been noticeably light recently on blockbuster spectacle, but the sight of this malleable young man learning about himself in real time as the camera rolls can feel as wondrous as any special effects.

The experience is perfectly setting these kids up for what American democracy is -- it's about winning and losing, your party's success... Boys State, as a chronicle of this experience, accurately then also focuses on winning and losing.

The documentary about a political boot camp is a depressingly accurate microcosm of the American electoral circus...helpful-if only as a cautionary tale about what extracurriculars not to enroll your kids in.

If you were to tell me that [I'm] going to be invested in a documentary about high school seniors running fake political platforms and [I'm] going to like it, I'd call you crazy -- but it's the truth here.