‘Knock Down the House’ is a political and moving documentary highlighting the movement of women in office

Rae Walberg, Staff Writer

Disclaimer: before stepping in to this review, let me flower you with facts.

This review is not the same mushy full-circle movie review that I have written in pages past. It’s political — Alexandria Ocasio Cortez political.

In the Netflix documentary Knock Down The House, Director Rachel Lear focuses on the journey of four progressive women who are working together to upset the status quo and remove longtime incumbents from their district.

The women involved in this effort represent the lifestyles of the common people. They didn’t go to fancy Ivy League schools or breezed through a career. They struggled to make ends meet, meanwhile working to provide their families and communities with necessities their politicians fails to provide for them.

Adequate Health Care. Breathable Air. Working Street Lamps.

Lear’s main protagonist the Bronx native and political firecracker, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC),worked as a bartender to pay rent and broach a campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Her campaign started as a self-motto — anyone could run so why can’t I — and blossomed into a grassroots effort with other Progressive democrats campaigning to be the “normal” person on the inside.

This is where the others come in.

The West Virginian coal miner’s daughter Paula Jean Swearengin, Ferguson, Mo. nurse and civil rights activist Cori Bush and Nevadan grieving mother Amy Villela. Her daughter, Shaylynne passed away from what Villela believes was a denial of care due to her insurance status.

Grounded in all of these women is a will to change — whether it’s because she (meaning they) has seen too many neighbors sick from polluted air or she is revolted by the profiling impurities this country turns a blind eye towards. She speaks and not in words that are deemed ladylike.

Political words.

Getting back on track, the documentary takes you on a timeline through major campaign events — initial block-to-block campaigning, 10,000 signatures and even a heated political debate between AOC and her incumbent challenger.

And hands down the political debate was the best part of the film. Whether you are an AOC fan or not, you’ve got to admit — this girl’s got game. No kidding at one point of her debate Joe Crowley threw up his hands and said, “Quite frankly I’m just doing the best that I can” after she grilled him with grievances.

There’s enough said there.

To be clear, this documentary doesn’t stop at everything political. It shows these politicians as humans with their overly loud families and concealed emotions and faces as they put on their game face makeup — a statement red lipstick. We see the softer side of these angered women– their seemingly non-existent which is actually existent vulnerability.

It was shocking.

Especially since me, as the documentary-watcher, realized “oh, politicians really do have souls.”

For these reasons I applaud Lear. She succeeded at what most moviemakers fail to do — she changed my perspective of politics and Progressive women and i’m sure other… as well.

Full-heartedly I endorse this documentary no matter if you are borderline Fascist or pretty much Communist. It will challenge your pre-notions of the political game.