This Place Rules

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.

I said "THIS IS INSAAAANE" so many times it coulda been a drinking game. I feel so much more sane after watching this. Politics in this country makes sense to me again. American discourse makes sense to me. I didn't even realize I had forgotten what objective journalism looks like. And then along comes an ad with this doofy-looking guy named Andrew and I thought sure, why not revisit January 6th and assess the wreckage. My man, where have you been all this time. I thought this country was polarized but really my view was polarized. We're all the same. We're all unhealthy, uneducated, pumped full of different misinformation, and understandably angry and confused and trying to figure it all out.

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.

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.

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.