I've been a fan of Andrew's for years. And I think most fans would tell you that it was inevitable that he would go on to make a full-length documentary film.
This Place Rules documents the events that lead up to the January 6th riots. Much like most of Andrew's journalism, this documentary was funny, sad, disturbing, and incredibly eye-opening. What I always appreciated about Andrew's journalism technique is that he never tries to trap anyone into obvious "gotcha" questions. Instead, he goes out in the field and finds the action, letting anyone who talks to him go completely off the rails if they so choose to. He doesn't manipulate what people say and just lets them talk about whatever they want. This results in much of the humor that is found in Andrew's Journalism.
But don't be fooled, This Place Rules is not a joke. It highlights the very real dangers and manipulations of extreme radical thinking that is perpetuated by social media forums and news media who profit off of fear and division. Some of this can be hard to watch because you can't help but empathize with some of the people who have gone so far down the rabbit hole that they seem to be beyond redemption. This documentary should be viewed as a warning of what will happen if someone chooses to go down this path.
This Place Rules is not only entertaining, but it's also important. And even though much of this documentary focuses on some of the most horrific events that we have experienced in the last 2 years, I was left with some hope because Andrew is using this film to show people the dangers of radical beliefs and I for one believe that this film will make people re-evaluate their lives so they don't end up going down this very destructive path.
