‘Ren Faire’ Review: Medieval Times Meets ‘Succession’

Justin Sayles and Jodi Walker struggle for power to recap Ren Faire, a three-part HBO docuseries. They start by discussing their personal experiences with Renaissance fairs, the complicated trio of main characters at the heart of this absurd Texas Renaissance Festival conflict, and what makes the Safdie brothers–produced documentary so refreshing (1:23). Along the way, they talk about how Ren Faire illustrates themes indicative of our time regarding older people in positions of power (17:55). Later, they debate who ended up being the most tragic figure in the story and whether the blend of traditional documentary filmmaking with highly stylized techniques fully landed (29:13).

Hosts: Justin Sayles and Jodi Walker
Producer: Kai Grady
Additional Production Support: Justin Sayles

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