Lead Me Home is an in-depth look at the homeless population on the west coast of the United States. This documentary consists of a series of interviews with homeless individuals as we try to understand how they’ve gotten to this point and what could be done to fix their situation. As the reality of homelessness in the United States comes to a head, viewers are taken on an emotional ride, one that is intended to spark an interest in helping this population.
There is always a fine line between feeling bad for homeless individuals and being annoyed by them as they ask for money. Lead Me Home steps so far to one side of the line that the line looks like a dot, and, as it dives deep into the stories of everyone involved, viewers are able sympathize for the individuals on screen. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve walked through Philadelphia or New York City and had someone ask me for money, and I won’t lie, I’ve never obliged–but I’ve also never asked myself how they’d gotten to where they are now, and that’s an important thing to consider. Lead Me Home explores the “why” behind what we see in major cities, and it opens viewers’ eyes to the realities of what leads to homelessness.
I think what I’m most impressed with in regard to Lead Me Home is the fortitude of the film’s subjects. Here is this group of individuals with very little who are willing to lay it all on the line and tell the world their darkest secrets. How do you get in front of a camera, one that will eventually reach millions of viewers, and express, with complete honesty, your struggles? I don’t know that I’d have the strength to do what these individuals do throughout Lead Me Home. This is a group that I don’t understand, because I’ve never been in their shoes–I’ve never been unsure of where my next meal will come from or if I’ll be able to receive medical attention if necessary–but Lead Me Home chases a sense of honesty and understanding among its interviewees that allows viewers like me to see the truth.
Through everything that this short documentary accomplishes, I believe that its main goal is to spread awareness of the pandemic of homelessness and encourage viewers around the world to take part in looking for a cure. Next time I encounter someone on the street asking for money I’ll have the wherewithal to explore the “why?” rather than jumping to conclusions. All-in-all I believe that Lead Me Home achieves its goal of reaching out to viewers around the world and expressing the dire need for help–and I think change (to a degree) may be on the horizon as a result. That may be a tad too optimistic, but Lead Me Home makes you feel this way–it makes you feel like there’s a chance.
It’s obvious that, based on the content, there is an emotional appeal present throughout Lead Me Home, and part of the way in which directors Pedro Kos and Jon Shenk achieve the level of emotion that they do is through the music. “Midnight” by Coldplay and “Endless Road” by Angel Olsen strengthen the emotion and pull viewers into the narrative of this documentary.
I thought to myself as the film concluded: “now this is a great documentary.” I can feel the emotion running through the veins of Lead Me Home, and that emotion reaches out and grabs viewers. It leads them to a place of respect and understanding–and it allows viewers to appreciate all that they have. Lead Me Home achieves everything that it could have hoped for, and it’s absolutely deserving of its Oscar nomination.
Directed by Pedro Kos & Jon Shenk.
Starring Luis Rivera Miranda, Tiffany Brownlee, Zia Martinis, Resheemah White, Ravelle Mestaz, Roman Friday, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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