Heightened Scrutiny (2025)

Bone dry, but appropriately so. I think it’s good that the documentary made the time to talk about the media’s role in renewed, intensified attacks against the trans community, as it’s a thing this film’s audience (which is to say cis people, at least at this screening) seems to overlook as it would inconvenience their worldle streak. The most fascinating presences in the film were the folks who write for the Times — like, hoo boy does the future hold a lot of souls searching for a lot of writers and editors who aren’t Pamela Paul. 

It goes without saying that trans people will win, eventually, with great pain and despite great loss. It is enraging that children are being asked to defend their lives, that they do so to adults who are so gormless that they have no issue being recorded scrolling on their phones when the people who are affected by their decisions speak up, but there are also adults who love their children very much, who love their transness very much, and that feels new. Extremely smart final shot.