KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE – Review

When director Rachel Lears started following four women candidates in the 2018 congressional primaries, she had no idea one of them would become the focus of national attention. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of four female political outsiders challenging Democratic incumbents that Lears pick to follow for this political wild ride, as they attempt to knock down the doors to power in the U.S. Congress. The resulting documentary, KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, is as thrilling, gripping and inspiring, as it is ground-breaking.

Two of the four women candidates featured in the documentary, St. Louisan Cori Bush and Nevadan Amy Vilela, will appear at a question-and-answer session after the St. Louis opening of KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, at 7:05 PM at the Tivoli Theater, as the film begins its local theatrical run. KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE was a hot ticket at the True/False Documentary Film Festival this year in Columbia, MO, following its strong debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

At the start of Lears’ documentary, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is joined by Cori Bush, Amy Vilela, and Paula Jean Swearengin, four women who are not career politicians but driven to run against their Democratic elected officials from the progressive side, mirroring the way libertarian and Tea Party candidates have mounted primary challenges to Republican incumbents from the right in recent years.

Ocasio-Cortez was a Bronx-based bartender when she faced off against Rep. Joe Crowley for New York’s 14th district. Cori Bush, a registered nurse and an ordained pastor, challenged powerful St. Louis incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay for Missouri’s U.S. Congressional 1st District seat. In Nevada, Amy Vilela challenged Rep. Steven Horsford in the 4th District, while Paula Jean Swearengin took on Sen. Joe Manchin (the only one facing a senator) in West Virginia.

Lears directed,wrote, and shot KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE, her third film, and co-produced it with her husband Robin Blotnik, who edited the documentary. Lears follows each woman by turns, although she ultimately spends more time with Ocasio-Cortez as her campaign started grabbing national media attention. Lears also wisely chose to include diversity in the candidates and to follow campaigns from diverse regions of the country – big city to rural, East Coast, Midwest and West. That decision gives the documentary a national, broad-based feel.

We get to know, and care about, each of the women, with glimpses into their personal lives and reasons for running, as well as following the dramatic ups-and-downs of the campaigns. Each woman is running against a well-funded incumbent, and running against an incumbent is always a long-shot, so you know there will be some heartache by the end. Still, it is inspiring to simply watch these ordinary women give it their best shot, and the effort fills one with admiration and even hope.

KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE opens Wednesday, May 1, at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars