Boys State: even though the event shown in Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ documentary is just a make-believe political game, it’s hard to ignore the many subjects’ takes on real-world issues. Most of the subjects, therefore, can be almost unbearable to watch and care for. The filmmakers strongly tell the story and, perhaps, make their point, but that doesn’t make this any pleasant to watch. It may or may not be a coincidence, but it’s telling which side aims for dialogue and compromise and which side chooses the dirty tactics. Considering the people that have been historically part of this project, the lessons learned by those involved suggest a very sad state of affairs in politics. Aesthetically, the film is mundanely efficient, but kudos to editors Jeff Seymann Gilbert and Michael T. Vollmann for creating a consistent narrative.