Ren Faire

Look, I get it. "Ren Faire" on HBO might not be what everyone expected. If you were looking for a lighthearted romp through a historical reenactment festival, you might be surprised by the show's focus on the drama behind the scenes. But here's the thing: that's exactly why this series deserves a resounding 10 stars.

Ren Faire isn't afraid to delve into the fascinating - and often hilarious - world of power struggles, ambition, and the sheer audacity of running a massive themed event. Director Lance Oppenheim crafts a story that's addictive and thought-provoking. It's like "Succession" meets "Game of Thrones," but set against the backdrop of turkey legs and jugglers.

Here's the thing I've noticed: some reviews seem to be coming from folks expecting a fluffy documentary about their local Ren Faire. But Ren Faire is about the Texas Renaissance Festival, a massive, multi-million dollar operation. It's a unique beast, and Oppenheim captures its essence perfectly.

Yes, the series is funny. You'll be chuckling at the outrageous personalities and the sheer absurdity of some situations. But there's also a surprising amount of heart here. You see the dedication of the people who pour their lives into this event, the camaraderie between performers, and the genuine passion that fuels the whole thing.

So, if you're looking for something different, something that will surprise you and keep you hooked, then Ren Faire is absolutely worth your time. Don't be swayed by negativity based on misconceptions. This is a well-made, entertaining, and surprisingly insightful documentary that deserves its place among the best. Trust me, this one's a ten.

Ren Fairs have never had an appeal to me, so I'm probably not the audience for this mini series. Still, I like offbeat documentaries, so I gave it a shot. The premise is a power struggle for control of the biggest Renaissance Festival in the US, as the long-time owner looks to cash out, retire, and chase far younger women. So, a comedy, you may think. But no, although there are some (probably unintended) funny moments, it basically comes off as sad. If the retiring owner is really worth over 100M (as he claims on a dating site profile), why does he meet his prospective partners at Olive Garden? Other than the old guys search for a young woman with natural breasts, the funniest scene was when one of the people vying to take over the Ren Faire claims, with a straight face, that he washed out of Air Force pilot training because he flew aerobatics in an AF airplane that wasn't certified for aerobatics. Suuuuuuuuuure.

Like I said, I'm probably not the intended audience, but at the end of the series, there literally was nobody from the series that I'd want to sit through dinner with.

Not sure if the film makers are trying to paint a sympathetic portrait of a delusional megalomaniacal d-bag manchild or catering to whatever purse strings that funded it, but it's nothing more than a student film filled with fluffery and proselytizing by those seeking to gain some huge benefit by their dishonesty. I knew George for nigh on ten years and he's a creep, and I guess that's apparent, but nowhere is the mention of his child brides.

More importantly, nowhere is the mention of Toon Town, where a number of participants live, some of them year round. I realize this is a focus on the owner, but his multi-million dollar business would be nothing without all the little people who make it work. But they're just peasants, so who cares? Either they weren't asked or wisely declined to be part of this boring, pointless stroking of egos debacle.

And from the film's eventuality, one has to wonder if the entire thing wasn't a scam to push publicity and/or manipulate the players. There's an ironic phrase amongst people who work there who have realistic expectations about what the faires are like concerning the people who pathetically think of it as real life: living the dream. This film has the same pathos.

Todays documentaries always seem to have this fancy presentation about them and frankly artificial feel.

They all require a film filter, heavy editing and overly dramatic music.

Although this one is well shot and looks great, I can't help but feel misled by the whole thing.

The story is presented like a movie with deliberate scenes that show each of the people as if it were some drama. And it begs the question, why wasn't this simply filmed as such?

I say this because it seems fake overall, as if the story doesn't have the weight it's presented throughout the three episodes.

It boards on being simply a reality tv show with a stronger budget.

I wish we saw more of the fair itself too! The inner workings, the shows, fellow actors and vendors.

Their thoughts on the whole matter and their jobs. But instead it was about management and their "king." Personally I felt that would've been a better choice for a theme here.

The fair seems to be more of a background than anything else. For three hour long episodes, it felt like a bait and switch.

George is the center of all this and boy is he probably one of the worst bosses you could have. Abusive, narcissistic, sexist and most of all, deranged! The way he talks to people and then claim he's some martyr. He really is alone in all of this.

Clearly past his prime, he seeks out a successor in his three top employees. It turns into a wannabe Succession, minus the razor sharp dialogue and acting.

A few players enter the game, only one will win. You can probably guess who it will be with the first outing and again I wonder why this was three episodes instead of two. I think George just liked the power play and using others for his own amusement. Sad individual.

It certainly kept me intrigued and the pace was steady. Yet it felt extra all around, filler that could've been more concentrated.

Again, the moments of almost fourth wall breaking where we see a dream like scenario of some of these people imagining things or hearing voices. It should've been a film. Just take the story that happened and turn it into a movie. Clearly these takes were set up and the people in on it. It was hard to take seriously.

I really thought this was a mockumentary, because of how absurd things were getting by the end.

Things end with a whimper and you're not surprised at the outcome for any of these folks here.

The whole thing is a fluff piece and I felt that this was a waste of time. Documentaries used to have a more traditional way of being shown More classy back in the day. Now it's made for the mainstream and spoon feeds you everything

I dare say this is a faux film about a true story. That's the best way I can describe it. Fascinating, yet frustrating.

You may like it more than I, but I don't recommend.

5 for the presentation and music. 2 for everything else.

This documentary was absolutely amazing. While it centers around a Renaissance fair, it's actually a deeper exploration of how businesses, corporations, and the world are currently being run. If you haven't seen this series, I highly encourage you to watch it. Then take a hard look at the outdated, expired individuals running the world today and compare the two.

This documentary is a wake-up call. As someone who personally knows an individual like George Coulam, I can tell you Lance Oppenheim framed him perfectly. From an outsider's perspective, George's legacy seems structurally sound, and he could even be seen as a hero. But all it takes is one dinner with him at Olive Garden to realize he's the villain, and his legacy will crumble like a house of cards.