In the world where documentaries often tread the line between sobering realities and the absurd, "BS High" pirouettes over that line wearing clown shoes, executing a flawless landing into the realm of the utterly unbelievable. This cinematic journey into the Bishop Sycamore High School scandal is akin to watching a trainwreck in slow motion, except the train is made of lies, the tracks are made of dreams, and the conductor is none other than Roy Johnson, with a whistle that seems to only play the tunes of deception. The film masterfully strings together interviews with the former head coach, his colleagues, key journalists like Andrew King and Bomani Jones, a determined school sports investigator Ben Ferree, and the bewildered players who rode this train, providing a narrative so wild it would make fiction writers blush.
Directors Martin Desmond Roe and Travon Free make the audience oscillate between uproarious laughter and jaw-dropping disbelief. Through candid interviews with Johnson, Branham, Peterson, and the players, the film peels back the layers of this onion of deceit, and yes, there are tears. The inclusion of journalists and Ferree adds a crucial layer of seriousness to the mix, providing just enough grounding to remind us that this saga, unbelievably, is not a work of fiction. Their incredulous expressions as they recount the unraveling of BS High's façade are worth the price of admission alone.
But it's not just the scandal that steals the show; it's the way "BS High" presents it. Like a magician revealing his tricks, the documentary lays bare the mechanics of the scam with a flair for the dramatic. It's a rollercoaster that you didn't know you needed a ticket for, with twists and turns that leave you questioning the very fabric of reality. In the end, "BS High" is a testament to the truth being stranger than fiction, and a reminder that sometimes, reality needs no embellishment to be thoroughly entertaining. Hats off to the filmmakers for turning one of the most baffling stories in high school sports history into a five-star cinematic experience.