‘Thoughts & Prayers’ Trailer – HBO Documentary Explores Active Shooter Preparedness Industry

The documentary Thoughts & Prayers explores the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and sheds light on its potential effects.

The title is co-opted from the common expression used by public figures, particularly after mass shootings, that has drawn immense criticism.

Directed by Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock, Thoughts & Prayers shows schools and communities actively engaged in training sessions designed to respond to a mass shooting, from daycare centers to high school to the wider world.

Featured in the documentary are students, staff members and administrators from school districts in Utah, Oregon, and New York and expert personnel in weapons, military, and video simulation training.

Thoughts & Prayers debuts Tuesday, November 18th at 9:00 p.m. on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

Here is the synopsis: This arresting yet sobering feature documentary captures the current landscape of safety rituals in schools and communities across America, where classrooms double as tactical training grounds, bullet-proof backpacks become armor, and conferences showcase the latest survival gadgets for a nation where mass shootings have become a part of everyday life. Equal parts absurd and unsettlingly real, the film traces the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry and its effect on students and educators, raising important questions about the unintended consequences of these intense preparations. In the absence of meaningful prevention efforts and gun reform, how far will Americans go to prepare for active shooters?

Caregivers block doors with cribs, educators practice shooting at armed intruders in elaborate mock battles and VR simulations, and children learn how to fight back against attackers with everyday school objects or hide behind bullet-proof equipment disguised as ordinary classroom furniture. Some students play the role of victims in mock battles and test the first aid skills of responders, who may be their own classmates. Candid, revealing interviews with teachers, administrators, students, and parents speak to this new “normal” and how communities are taking the situation into their own hands, even if the effectiveness of such training is difficult to determine.

“As new parents, we wanted to witness what lockdown drills actually looked like—kids sitting quietly in the dark, a teacher in the foreground as the last line of defense. But once we started, the sheer scale of the industry and the number of drills, products, and training programs was staggering. And an overriding theme became clear: none of this is about prevention, it’s all about practice,” said the directors in an interview with Deadline. “It’s important to state that most of the drills, products, and programs in the film are created by individuals who are actually trying to help. But it raises the larger question, one that we hope audiences will grapple with: is this what a healthy country looks like and is this how we want to live?”

Watch the official trailer for Thoughts & Prayers above.