Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s Boys State is a captivating, if imperfect, documentary that examines the current state of American politics by examining the American Legion’s annual Texas Boys State conference, which gathers hundreds of teenage boys from across the state of Texas to build a representative government from the ground up. There’s much to appreciate about the film, and it is especially heartening to see the filmmakers actively look for participants who don’t fit the traditional white, ultra-conservative, hyper-masculine mode that so many of these teenage boys have embraced wholeheartedly. The film is at its best when it leans on its vérité roots and simply observes the proceedings – be it the campaigns for Boys State governor or the annual talent show. It’s at its worst and most predictable when it leans into the tropes of reality TV with its simplistic heroes and villains, the couch confessionals, the semi-staged shots for artistic effect, or the self-consciously ironic editing beats. That said, as imperfect as the film may be, the film’s central exploration of politics and the questions it asks about the ways this generation of youth is being shaped by the divisiveness and rancor of our political leaders is still of vital importance today. And if we’re showing our youth that power is the only thing that matters, what kind of lessons are we teaching them about public service and the common good? The film may not provide the answers, but it does ask us to reflect on the essential questions.