This politically urgent documentary is a must-see for our times, as it centers on the power of grassroots action and what happens when everyday Americans come together to organize and challenge corrupt and racist institutional structures. Pretty ambitious in scope, it tracks the historic, but by no means dead, practice of gerrymandering—the political manipulation of electoral districts—and how it was (and still is) perpetuated by concentrated wealth, as well as the individuals who come together to end it.

Young activist Katie Fahey takes it upon herself to form Citizens Not Politicians, where she seeks to challenge and dismantle gerrymandering in her home state of Michigan. Wide-eyed and bubbly, Fahey exhibits a relentless determination that makes her the perfect vehicle to carry the narrative’s ultimate message of hope and civic duty. Alongside Fahey, who is by no means the only important player here, we also follow determined attorneys who manage to take a case to the Supreme Court. In some of the most shocking sequences, the film interviews the myriad of journalists who exposed the nationwide effort, spearheaded by figures ranging from the Walton family to the Koch brothers, to gerrymander districts of color and the poor, thereby effectively rigging elections.

For those only slightly familiar with this form of electoral machination and wealth concentration in the United States, Slay provides a deep and microscopic dive. In an especially apt moment, Fahey vlogs during one of the darkest hours of her crusade and soberly laments that after everything she and her organization have done on the ground, there are still those in power who can simply override their efforts.

Although it ends on a much needed optimistic note, Slay the Dragon ultimately provides an informative look into the strategies of the activists and the potential they hold for changing the political direction of the country. Perhaps most pointedly, it also shines a light on the extent to which concentrated wealth is aware of its own power. Gerrymandering isn’t an issue of ignorance or “good intentions gone wrong,” rather it was and is a deliberate attempt to maintain segregation and to subvert democracy. These are no trivial issues, and the film beautifully presents a silver lining: At the end of the day, there are more of us than them.