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Girls State

2024

Documentary

Documentary What would American democracy look like in the hands of teenage girls? In this documentary, young female leaders from wildly different backgrounds in Missouri navigate an immersive experiment to build a government from the ground up.

	Media	Author	Review
		David Ehrlich IndieWire	"A film about a group of young women who discover the power of listening to their own voices by sharing in the same primal scream."
		Lisa Kennedy Variety	"How some of the young leaders in 'Girls State' not only handle but also leverage their disappointments provides one of the documentary's richest lessons"
		Tim Robey Telegraph	"In this thought-provoking documentary, girls get the chance to play politics –and their debates about abortion are startlingly nuanced (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		John Serba Decider	"A smart, entertaining and quietly vital documentary"
		David Fear Rolling Stone	"There's a formula at work here, a winning and well-proven one, and McBaine and Moss stick to it"
		Daniel Fienberg The Hollywood Reporter	"A worthy, if not wholly satisfying, companion doc to 'Boys State' (...) 'Girls State', like its predecessor, benefits from strong casting and ample access to the pint-sized political proceedings"
		Natalia Winkelman The New York Times	"'Girls State' endears, but it also leaves viewers with the sense that, for a film about young women eager to take on the world's challenges, the movie could stand to tackle a few more"
		Jacob Oller Paste Magazine	"[It] may never seem to hold convictions as strong as those it films, but it’s embedded in an event that truthfully captures our present while posing implicit predictions for our future"
		Adrian Horton The Guardian	"Compelling follow-up to hit documentary (...) The film’s chief enjoyment is seeing how motivations transform, and character is forged, through the sliding doors of new people (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Amber Wilkinson Screendaily	"An insightful documentary about everday sexism and young women’s fight for change"
		Taylor Gates Collider	"Not only is this documentary a microcosm of the country at large (...) but it also gives us a sense of what the future can look like"
		Ariana Martinez The Wrap	"It's hard not to compare this doc to 'Boys State' and that's the film's strongest asset"
		Jake Kring-Schreifels The Film Stage	"One senses friction between the movie McBaine and Moss set out to make and the one developing in front of them"
		Nell Minow rogerebert.com	"It is genuinely thrilling to see their integrity, passion, and conviction that they can and must do better (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Marshall Shaffer Slant	"If there’s hope somewhere in 'Girls State', it’s in showing young women like Emily are starting to ask the necessary questions (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Aparita Bhandari The Globe and Mail	"A powerful documentary that showcases just how invested and determined young women are in their desire to run for the highest office –despite the challenges they face"
		Peter Howell Toronto Star	"Girls rule! They really do in this follow-on to the Sundance 2020 documentary prize winner 'Boys State', which was also directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)"
		Kevin Maher The Times	"A riot of interpersonal tensions, betrayals and broken hearts, as key players and potential future politicians are faced with the ethical and personal sacrifices required to claim power (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"

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