This Place Rules

With just the right amount of relief whether through comedy or lighthearted fun This Place Rules reveals in retrospect the perfect recipe for disaster which lead up to the 2020 election and the infamous January 6th attack on the United States capitol.

This Place Rules reveals the countless rabbit holes so many with the time or motivation on their hands slipped down into which lead to the desperation and extremism necessary for all the chaos we witnessed during that extremely delicate and volatile time in US history.

TPR is an easy 10/10 for me due to its lack of bias, honest journalism, perfect pacing, and a message everyone can and should get behind - especially as technology and vehicles for misinformation continue to advance.

Andrew Callaghan is best known for his YouTube videos where he interviews people with very large personalities who are also sometimes under the influence of various substances. I'm only a little familiar with his stuff, having seen a couple here and there, but the format was still recognizable in this feature-length documentary, which sees Callaghan going to various events that took place between November 2020 and January 2021. All revolved around the then-current election and its dramatic fallout, and along the way, he also interviews a few high-profile people in more standard interviews.

I do like how this film has a message without being preachy. While it does focus on extreme personalities on the right more than the left, it doesn't let those on the left off the hook, and feels a good deal more balanced than most contemporary American documentaries about politics as a result. The interviewees also make this more entertaining than most political documentaries... at least for a good portion of its runtime.

The biggest problem is that at a point, it does become a tiny bit repetitive. There are only so many rallies and screaming matches you can bear witness to before exhaustion sets in, but at the same time, the film's only about 80 minutes long, so it doesn't overstay its welcome too much. I think it concludes well, but also slightly jarringly, as Callaghan does become a little more obtrusive in the final 5-10 minutes, spelling out/directly discussing some of the things he's been building towards in order to give this a proper ending, and to ensure it doesn't just feel like binging 80 minutes worth of his YouTube videos.

But complaints aside, a lot of this is really good stuff, and I like his style of journalism. Modern news media and mainstream documentaries show how difficult it is to cover a subject like this in a way that's engaging, informative, and not biased, and I think Callaghan manages to do all of those for most of this film's runtime. For anyone who's not worried revisiting the world of politics in 2020 will make them tear their hair out in anger and/or despair, this documentary's easy to recommend.

Didn't waste a second of my time its a very fun documentary even if you don't like politics , it shows all the different sides of Jan 6 riot without taking sides , my jaw was always wide open while watching this as it show the different kinda of people who participated and was affected by this also Andrew is a great interviewer as he never project his own thoughts or value into others and let them speak their opinion

from your average American struggling to make ends meet to snake oil salesman to children's in the street to grown adults who you can't believe they exist in today social media world , truly a must watch just for the entertaining factor alone 10/10 would watch again.

This place rules is a documentary that while can be absolutely hysterical at times. It also can be a unique look and take on the contriving factors and dire situation that our country has and continues to face in present day politics

Andrew Callaghan is a great narrator throughout the entirety of the documentary in more in that he doesn't really do a whole lot. His limited words and dry humor allow for the words people say to speak out and just let the people he interviews tell the story. I do think there is a little bit or contradiction in the way he talks about division at times through the doc.

Narration:1.5/2

The interviews in this doc are absolutely insane that it is almost hard to believe that they are real but obviously we know that there are many people out there who believe this stuff and spread it to other people and across news outlets. There was however heavy editing in the doc as well as the use of children which I did not agree with.

Interviews:1.25/2

This doc is told brilliantly. The subtle documentation of the events of the 2020 election I thought were done incredibly well and I love how many places Callaghan visits and the way he documents the entire story. It is incredibly effective and creates the perfect storm to get the point across.

Storytelling:1.75/2

It is quite evident that Callaghan is the director of this doc as well and I think that helps it in a lot of aspects because it is not going into the hands of anybody else. He is the one that was there to analyze all of this raw footage and I think that's important as it makes a more genuine documentary to watch Directing:1.75/2

The use of imaging in the documentary is incredibly good and one that I think enhances the overall product. The editing is also superb as well cutting from very various people and scenes and makes the doc feel incredibly smooth viewing experience Other factors:1.5/2

Overall, this place rules should scare the hell out of you and I think it is one of the most effective docs at showing the division the country is at especially during that time period. Through the eyes of an average citizen make it a worthwhile watch and while it definitely will not draw with a pro trump crowd; any sensible person can watch it and digest it for what it is Overall:7.75.

In "This Place Rules" Andrew Callaghan doesn't spin narratives or tell you how to think - he simply documents events that led up to January 6th.

While cable news and mainstream media networks feed propaganda to the masses, it's nice to get a raw look at the insanity on both sides of the political spectrum. Not only is this documentary informative, it's also hilarious, sad, and - at times - just plain depressing. But it needs to be. All Callghan does is hold up a mirror to the audience.

If you don't like whatever message you get from this documentary then you need to take a long hard look inside yourself.