*Editor’s Note: Excerpts of this review could be perceived as expressions of personal views on matters of current public debate and consideration. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Irish Film Critic.
A group of high school seniors train to become police officers and Border Patrol agents at El Paso’s Horizon High School, near the U.S./Mexico border.
In her second feature documentary, Maisie Crow astutely follows three seniors in high school 10 miles from the Juarez/El Paso border. The trio attends Horizon High School which has the unique distinction of offering a law enforcement program run by former agents and officers as a way to entice students into the field.
Some of their training includes scheduled scenarios: 12 pm an active shooter, 1:30 pm a hostage situation, and finishing with a drug raid at 2:30 pm. Their fake handguns are bright red and the teens remain very earnest throughout.
The former police officers-turned-teachers instruct the cadets and after some idealistic jargon, they watch a trailer for their former academy. While the product is a far cry from Leni Riefenstahl’s wasted talents, it contains the same message.
Christina, a recent graduate of the Horizon Law Enforcement Academy, is thrilled to share the news with her Mexican immigrant parents that she’ll be making a decent wage on her first assignment. Her father is happy with the position and believes the border patrol curtails the flow of drugs and comes to the aid of dying immigrants. He also finds any claims of racism to be over-exaggerated since most of the border agents are of Mexican descent themselves.
Mason is a recent graduate whose father is absent and he spends most school nights alone making microwave meals. He’s enthusiastic to be part of the law enforcement community, feeling his value and purpose in life. He becomes selected to lead the classes in a Teacher’s Assistant/Class President type of role. Mason’s struggle to safely identify as gay is respectfully shown and his journey is nothing short of astonishing.
On a news clip, Trump’s administration announces it’s beefing up the over-bloated border by sending the National Guard to stop an unarmed migrant caravan fleeing horrible conditions. This news divides the class in an open debate. Mason posits, “it’s like drinking medicine when you’re not sick.” What’s the point of a border patrol if they can’t be trusted on their own to protect it? The humanitarian crisis was ultimately brushed aside for spectacle and the migrants became geopolitical pawns for the US to scapegoat and increase fear.
The news gets even worse when ICE (under Trump’s orders) fully embraces their Gestapo tactics and begins separating families at the border. Once again, these thoughtful teenagers, while reflecting on their immigrant families, struggle with the increasingly draconian laws and if they could normalize separating a baby from their mother.
A student questions the illogical border strategy by referring to Mongolia and China. No matter how many lines or borders, you can always get through, not to mention the endless tunnels created in the desert. On top of that, plenty of immigrants fly here to stay from many parts of the world. The teacher is flummoxed by this student’s opinion and just says, “We’re trying to win the war on drugs, right?”
In general, US Law Enforcement salaries start a fair amount higher than the average workers and don’t require a college degree. Most have noted how this is an effective recruitment tool. Director Maisie Crow navigates the murky politics with an objectionable eye and avoids taking any sides. “At the Ready” is a documentary with a resolution and an open ending to give a realistic satisfying conclusion.
“At the Ready” had its World Premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, January 31st
