Documentaries show certain truths about the world that most people are uncomfortable being confronted with. The Work is an incredible documentary directed by Jairus McLeary that focuses on how societal expectations of men cause them to repress their emotions. This documentary follows the journey of three men as they take part in a therapeutic program taking place in Folsom Prison in which they, with the help of inmates, go through memories of their pasts in order to talk about their trauma and better themselves for it.

    The plot is a great contribution to the greatness of this documentary. The entirety of it is based on the toxic masculinity that society puts on men. Jairus McLeary sets out to bring this to light and make clear that there is nothing wrong with men being vulnerable. For example, as said by the character Dark Cloud, “I want to be vulnerable and I don’t want to be scared to be vulnerable.” Society has made it so that men are too afraid to show emotions that they only end up causing harm to themselves and to those around them. 

    The characters in this documentary are a great part of what makes this so incredible. One person in particular is Brian Nazarof, who throughout most of the documentary shows a great deal of skepticism towards the methods used in this program. From the beginning of the program he states to everyone that he is “judging them” for their pasts and the actions they are taking now. By stating this he’s making it obvious that he isn’t taking anyone seriously and gets on everybody’s bad side for it. Eventually, we see a breakthrough with him and we are able to examine the anger he holds and how that affects his everyday life.  

    Another thing that makes this such an incredible documentary is the dialogue used by the inmates and other participants of the program. For example, during one of the group circles it is stated that to cry with one’s head up is to “cry like a man.” This in itself embraces both progressive and regressive attitudes. 

            A powerful scene in this documentary is when all the men would gather and form a sort of barrier around one man. Said man is then encouraged to rage and to fight his way out of this literal and figurative cage that is holding him. This is symbolic to the figurative cage that society has trapped them in and their fight in getting out of it. 

             The Work is an amazing documentary that truly captures the struggles that men face in their everyday lives due to the weight of society’s expectations of being tough and emotionless.