Married filmmakers Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss make consistently good documentaries. Their 2023 doc The Mission (my review) thoughtfully explored a complicated missionary story. Their 2014 doc The Overnighters made my list of the 15 best films about faith from the 2010s. And because I really enjoyed their 2020 look at Texas Boys State in Boys State (my review), I was eager to watch their newest documentary, Girls State (watch on AppleTV+), filmed at the 2022 Missouri Girls State.

On one level the Boys State and Girls State documentaries are simply well-made, endearing looks at American teens as they begin to develop their political views and find their place within the workings of democracy. But on another level it’s fascinating to watch the films as a Christian and consider how a young believer with political ambitions might chart a path to government influence—without losing their soul. This is especially true in Girls State, which focuses on a conservative Christian girl named Emily who struggles to build a coalition among her peers, the majority of whom are following national patterns and leaning left.

Given Girls State’s filming just days before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion looms large as a galvanizing issue for the teen delegates. It’s interesting to watch the few pro-life girls (like Emily) have conversations about the issue with their (very fired-up) pro-choice counterparts. As I argue in my TGC review of the film, Girls State is a movie pro-life Christians ought to watch “in part because it highlights the messaging challenge we face in reaching young women.” It behooves believers to pay attention to what issues and messages resonate and don’t resonate with young people today. The microcosm of Girls State gives us an illuminating glimpse.