When 2020 started, things were looking a lot brighter for A24. Coming off a defining run in 2019, they had a lot lined up for their next act with a few choice acquisitions out of that year’s Sundance. However, as COVID-19 shut down every theatrical release, the future of cinema seemed uncertain. Coming off of the infamous rollout of First Cow (2020), A24 would find themselves rebounding with one of the bigger surprises of the year. Boys State (2020) was a documentary that sought to capture the political landscape of America through the eyes of teenagers. With critical acclaim and a few noteworthy accolades, it would become the studio’s biggest success from a year of paltry output.
The story begins a bit further back than usual. Given that this is a documentary, it’s important to mention the origins of Boys State as a program. It was created in 1937 as a way to introduce the youth to political discourse. As the marketing for the documentary would make clear, it spawned a diverse group of attendees over the decades including President Bill Clinton, Vice President Dick Cheney, Cory Booker, athlete Michael Jordan, and actor James Gandolfini to name a few. Elsewhere were quotes from people like Presidents Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama about the value of the program and its formative use of developing character. While this is all important, the reason that co-directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine wanted to tackle Boys State is because of a very specific event.
As one can expect, having 1,000+ teenagers in a room together can result in a complicated view of politics. Boys State was sold as a contemporary “Lord of the Flies” as each branch fought to find their leaders. However, Moss was attracted to exploring the Texas branch in 2018 because of an unprecedented motion that was passed. In the decades of the program, the 2017 group was the first and so far only one to vote to secede from the union. There was a strong curiosity as to what would happen next. Something major would happen. At the time it wasn’t conceived as being an allegory for the upcoming 2020 American presidential election but more a commentary on culture in the wake of The Me Too Movement and the rise of far-right culture clash. So much was going on that could lead to ominous parallels.
One of the major setbacks of filming the documentary was the need to work fast. Because they were centered around four subjects differing in ideological background, they would need to stay in close contact with multiple filming crews. Given that it also took place over a week, there would be a lot of changing variables that could impact the greater story. By the end, the decisions worked out as certain more empathetic subjects were voted off in ways that undercut the wish fulfillment. It allowed everything to feel more purposeful and real. If anything, it alluded to the potential disappointment of the upcoming election.
Together, McBaine and Moss mentioned that it took an additional year to edit the footage together. By the time it would premiere in 2020, it had been a near two years with many of the boys moving on in their lives to other adventures. In what turned out to be tragic irony, Boys State would win the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Cannes and be sold for $12 million to A24. In a better year, it could’ve done decent numbers at the box office due to its timeliness. However, it was one of the final acquisitions A24 would make prior to the pandemic shutting theaters down. The other major purchase came from the top prize winner Minari (2021), though its release was postponed to compensate for a change in Oscar rulings.
During this time, other major news was breaking in A24’s distribution world. Having done partnerships with Amazon, DirecTV, HBO, and Showtime, the studio was approaching another buzzy decision. While they would release their previous documentary The Elephant Queen (2019) through AppleTV+, Boys State would be their first official release to premiere on the platform. Given that they had started in November 2019, the year 2020 was significant for their rollout. Having a documentary that looked to comment on the modern political landscape could only seek to help their brand. While it was unclear how long they would be partnering with A24, as of 2023 they still have many productions in the works that rival their direct-to-theaters titles.
The move proved to be successful. Along with a prominent marketing campaign, audiences were eagerly talking about it. Because of titles like Boys State, AppleTV+ formed an early reputation for releasing quality exclusive content that could rival their competitors. Given that this was also months after Disney+ premiered with unfathomable success, every small win was important. There was a fight for dominance in the streaming market and while it’s arguable how prominent AppleTV+ has been in the years since, they’ve carved out a decent niche with their A24 films. This would be so much the case that it was rumored that the studio was considering buying the indie success story for over $3 billion in 2021.
As the second of three A24 films released in 2020, it was arguably their most successful. While First Cow had a loyal fan base, Boys State had developed some of the best reviews of the year. According to critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned a healthy 95% rating. Jo Livingstone of The New Republic praised the film when claiming, “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.” Elsewhere Adam Kempenaar of Filmspotting shared the enthusiasm when noting, “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 few who disagreed included Richard Brody of New Yorker who suggested, “A nagging absence buzzes throughout nearly the entire film, distracting the viewer from the substance, however engaging, of what's onscreen.”
With that said, the film would have a considerable presence in the awards season. Many had predicted a chance for Oscar nominations, which didn’t happen for several reasons (including its premiering on a streaming service). However, it would earn wins from National Board of Review along with the Emmys. It would become the most successful film that A24 released that year, though it came up short elsewhere. Minari would make it into the awards circle while AppleTV+’s Wolfwalkers (2020) became the first significant Oscar nomination for the platform. With all of that said, the film did have some fans in high positions of power. Along with various other critics best of the year lists, President Obama would label it alongside his favorite movies from 2020.
The question ultimately becomes if Boys State had much of a legacy. The best that can be said is that it was considered a faithful glimpse into an organization often overlooked. While it didn’t capture a moment on part with 2017’s seceding from the union, it still conveyed the diverse opinions of modern teenagers. It maybe didn’t say a lot about the upcoming election that had its own host of complicated matters. With that said, Moss would finally do a documentary about more vital politics with Mayor Pete (2021) which chronicled the rise of Pete Buttigieg. Given that he would be elected to President Joe Biden’s cabinet, everything would come full circle.
It is true that 2020 remains one of the least ceremonious years in A24 history. Even then, it did produce a meaningful partnership with Apple and launched the potential for more prestigious output. While none of the three films would make it to Oscar Night, they all reflected the studio’s ability to thrive even in complicated times. Closing out the trio would be a reunion of sorts that called back to one of the first films they ever released. It was the return of director Sofia Coppola, fresh off of a Cannes-winning drama and teaming with a partner that collaborated on a 21st-century masterpiece. While it was the year's most underwhelming title, it was a welcomed sight for sore eyes.
Coming Up Next: “On the Rocks” (2020)
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