Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic, and the director of Hot Tub Time Machine didn’t put audio description on this. Perhaps, it is time to use that machine, and go back and add the description?

What happens when a liberal democrat makes a documentary about a conservative republican? In these times, in this political climate, I’m sure the mountain felt a lot steeper to climb. Even being able to have any kind of conversation or discourse when we’ve never been so divided. But, Steve Pink decided to follow adam kenzinger around for his final days in Congress, and document how he got to this point.

Films like this preach to the choir. It isn’t like there’s some MAGA die hard sitting out there waiting to hear what Adam has to say, especially filtered through steve Pink. And that’s something Adam realizes and addresses, is that he is a republican, not a Democrat. yet somehow, for simply standing up for his morals and not following the tide, he has become some weird outlier, who is far more likely to attract attention outside his party. If this film is meant to reset peoples views on him, it didn’t work.

It’s not like Adam jumps in here and starts espousing conservative rhetoric to earn himself brownie points. he doesn’t start debating the right to choose, trans athletes, immigration, or any other currently hot button political topic. It is more about closing the door on something he worked so hard to obtain, simply because he would not sacrifice his own integrity. We saw Liz Cheney do the same thing, and she somehow became a strange bedfellow despite having some really hardline conservative viewpoints.

The Last republican is a solid look at the final days of Adam, but probably should have just been Adam commenting and reflecting on his career. Steve does some light work interviewing others, but not substantial enough. It feels like this is a project centric to one man, and his final farewell that sets the record straight. Just some sleight deviation and focus in that direction would have made a stronger film. sure, some critics lament the growing amount of memoir documentaries, and I do as well. They are content creation for the streaming age. however, the final days of a representative that was involved in one of the more crucial points in recent history, is certainly worth a gander, even if you are a part of the choir. Preach.

Adam will change no hearts or minds, but at least he’s afforded the opportunity to have his say on the way out. Now he’s free to star in Hot tub Time Machine 3.

Fresh: Final Grade: 8.2/10