jeremiah-johnson6 Review of Devil's Playground

Devil's Playground (2002)

This movie touched my heart & haunts my soul

[10/10 · 11 January 2020]

I checked this movie out of my local library over 15 years ago and it still crosses my mind from time to time. Whenever I find myself conversing about documentaries, this movie is never the first one I discuss but I ALWAYS bring it up eventually. Not because it's the Best Looking documentary, because it's not. In fact, it's production value is Busch-League Amateur-Hour...but as I've come to realize, none of that is as crucial as what the subject is that's being documented. When the subject is presented and you are transfixed, looking past your world into another world, and you feel it like you feel yours,you learn Production Value is as useless as it is worthless. Devils Playground really made me try and put myself in the Rumspringa Rugg-Rats Shoes, try to look at it from their, perspective....a look that warmed my heart and broke my heart but I'm grateful I've seen it...it makes me think about what I feel from time to time. (*Spoiler Alert* (kind of a spoiler, not a blatant spoiler, more a heavy-handed-trailer kind of spoiler)) I also bElieve what I see IS these kids, at that time!! and remembering my own youth and thinking that these kids have to decide their Body & Soul and ALL THEY KNOW ABOUT THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS WHAT THEY SEE FROM WATCHING the ENGLISH FROM THE SIDELINES....THEY ARE THROWN INTO AN ALMOST ANARCHIST ORGY OF NIHILISM AT PEAK (male predominantly) TEENAGE HORMONE HAPPY-HOUR...and they must each make Heaven & Hell decisions while crawling out of a cornfield hung-OVER A-F!! All of the kids are Genuine & Extraordinary...but the 1 who REALLY got under my skin & into my thoughts was Farron Yoder (not sure about spelling but that's how it sounds) ....I LEGITIMATELY wish that Yoder kid a Happy Life!! This Movie Got to ME