Devils Playground

Devils Playground

This is a documentary about the alleged Amish rite of passage called Rumspringa. The film follows Amish teenagers in LaGrange County, Indiana who enter the "English World" and experiment with illegal drugs, drinking, partying, and pre-marital sex. After a certain amount of time, the teenagers are expected to either become baptized as adults in the Amish community, or permanently leave the church and be forever shunned by their families and friends.

According to the film, at the age of 16, Amish youth are allowed to depart from many of the Amish rules, though the scholarship on the subject does not support this view of a normative rumspringa. The young people sample life outside of the Amish community. Many drive cars, wear modern clothes and cut and style their hair in more fashionable styles, get jobs, have romantic and sexual relationships, and some experiment with tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

One Amish youth whom the film follows, Faron – a preacher's son – even turns to drug dealing to satisfy his habit. Faron is eventually apprehended by the authorities and aids them in arresting another dealer. The movie continues as each subject faces a variety of challenges and pressures from both the "English World" and the "Amish World" of their families. Some return to their families, others do not. One girl is baptized but later leaves the Amish church, resulting in her family shunning her.

According to the documentary, after the period of Rumspringa, "almost 90%" of Amish youth decide to rejoin the church.

I thought it was an interesting thing to watch. I wont watch again, but it was a cool look into the Amish life and community. I was blown away about the Amish life and the teenagers. It makes sense though, after being in a bubble your whole life, your first chance breaking out you don't know how to go about it or what to do, so you go crazy. So many sacrifices come with being Amish, and the teens have a sweet deal. Between 16 and 25, they can do whatever they want, and then be baptized and be all good.

Things i didn't like about this movie is that it felt super depressing. It was a sad movie. I felt so bad for these teens, and their families, and for them living in Indiana. There was a lot of swearing that just sounded awkward. What was most depressing is that these kids have nothing to look forward to if they don't go back to the faith. None of them are high school graduates, and none of them have options because of lack of education. So they leave the faith, live in trailers, do drugs and work dead end jobs.