HARD HAT RIOT
Director: Marc Levin
QUENTIN
As far as documentaries go, Hard Hat Riot is about as dry as they come, which shouldn’t be surprising considering it was produced for PBS. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a watch, especially if you’re interested in how the United States has come to find itself in its current cultural and political divide, but Riot is far more educational than entertainment. There are no flashy interview subjects, just old guys in a room and plenty of archival footage. That said, the parallels to what is happening today, as well as the insight into the redefinition of American politics, are fascinating.
KATIE
Hard Hat Riot offers informative and impactful insight into an American historical event that I had no knowledge of beforehand, but thoroughly enjoyed learning about over the course of the documentary. Through interviews with individuals who experienced the event, as well as the political climate that led to it, it shows points of view that are authentic and grounded, and normally wouldn't reach a wider audience. Although it doesn’t explicitly make the comparison, it highlights the worrying similarities in our current political landscape and how voters can be manipulated and turned against one another.
