Daryl Scott Granger’s ‘The Showmen’, his third documentary feature after ‘NETTING the Waters’ and ‘Young Farmer’, is a fantastic documentary film that dives into the origins of carnivals and how a complex but dedicated crew of SHOWMEN works overtime to bring the magic behind the carnivals to life.
Granger has already displayed a knack for bringing untold stories onto the screen with his two previous documentary features. With ‘The Showmen’, he goes a step further and dives into a world that most would not dare wander into. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding carnivals and Granger does his best to peel back the curtains and dispel a lot of rumors and hearsay about what goes on there. Aided by a passionate desire to uncover the truth as well an obligation to apprise the masses of the truth, Granger sets his sights on a magical world where nothing is what it seems.
With a runtime of just over two hours, The Showmen has a lot of ground to cover and it does so splendidly. The editing is crisp, ensuring the two hour runtime breezes by in a flash. Never once did I glance at my phone and my watch and after the film ended, I was shocked to see that it was more than two hours long. Granger ensures the audience remains glued to the screen and he utilizes a variety of audio-visual tools at his disposal to achieve this. From the vibrant cinematography to the use of AI in some key aspects, the production gives the full spectral experience of being behind the curtain as a carnival comes to life.
Each frame bursts out of the shell and the production looks highly polished in all its aspects. With a seemingly mid-sized budget, it is fascinating to see how Granger managed to make the film look so incredibly good. There is a fair bit of AI in there but all moments feel real, organic and without any fluff. A film is a visual medium first and foremost and Granger understands this completely; complementing his complex narrative with imagery that fits right in. An added complexity is the documentary genre; it is hard to make the audience care about the issue at hand. What Granger does splendidly here is ensuring that first we are interested and then wholeheartedly invested as the narrative moves forward.
Most of us have been to carnivals, at least once in our lives (or have wanted to attend one). We all have this larger-than-life image of it, how intricately designed it is and how it really builds upon our collective imaginations. This documentary is all that and more. It begins with an interesting question and builds upon it and will shatter your world by the time the credits roll.
Daryl Scott Granger’s The Showmen is thus a deeply intimate portrayal of a life most have no idea about. The film is emotional, factual and fantastical; a moving feature that goes to unexpected places and apprises the audience of a world that has so far existed beyond our eyes. The film is a much needed shot in the arm for the carnival industry, dispelling rumors about it that have been around for generations.
Daryl Granger is an award-winning Canadian documentary filmmaker whose breakout features Netting the Waters (2024) and Young Farmer (2025) have thrilled audiences through sold-out theatrical screenings across Ontario. His newest film, The Showmen, offers a vibrant, behind-the-scenes look at travelling carnivals, merging archival storytelling with present-day realities of the midway. Known for operating as a one-man crew, Granger captures months of unscripted material to build deeply authentic narratives, proving that independent filmmaking can be cinematic and bursting with emotional impact by telling stories that are close to home.
