Mass
Composite Score: 82.9
Starring: Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd, Reed Birney, Breeda Wool, Kagen Albright, and Michelle N. Carter
Director: Fran Kranz
Writer: Fran Kranz
Genres: Drama, Dialogue
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic content and brief strong language
Box Office: $256,359 worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Mass is the 2021 film about two sets of parents meeting six years after a tragedy involving their children to work through their grief and air out remaining grievances. It stars Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton as the parents of one of the victims meeting with Ann Dowd and Reed Birney as the parents of the perpetrator. This is an example of a film that uses the medium to explore the details and nuances of a highly charged subject, in this case mass shootings/school shootings. It features strong acting from its four central characters and a well-reasoned and emotionally healthy discussion of one such fictional event that invites the audience to consider the humanity of everyone involved and recognize the need for solutions.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
If you are someone for whom school shootings are a trigger, I do not recommend watching Mass. Though it contains no visual depictions of the event, the descriptions from the parents leave little to the imagination and could easily set someone off if they have experienced such an event or have trauma relating to something similar. At the same time, people who only avoid the subject because of its political triggers might want to consider watching this film. It gives a generous representation of both sides of the “gun debate” but also provides a more human element, inviting those who argue about it to consider more than just politics or money or “beliefs” or “amendments”. It is not a film that everyone needs to watch, but it will have a lasting impact on those for whom the film has meaning.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
As in any film that takes place predominantly in one room, Mass requires strong acting performances, and the four leads each bring their own powerful takes to this film. Reed Birney’s Richard, the father of the shooter, is every bit the stereotypical business dad. He has goals for his kids, knows the facts, and is quietly a conservative. His performance betrays a deeper sense of emotion that never quite comes to the fore, reminiscent of what is often expected of the more distant father-figures of such perpetrators. In contrast to his facts-focused, better-places-to-be performance, Jason Isaacs brings all the frustration and passion of a parent whose child has been senselessly killed as Jay. His deep passion and conviction come through as he both looks and acts the part of a bereft father, playing to the more emotional side of the audience. Martha Plimpton plays his wife Gail, staying silent with rage and resistance for much of the discussion before she finally finds catharsis through a beautiful story that she tells in the film’s third act. It is her emotional release that allows the audience to begin to reach the same level of acceptance. As the foil to Gail’s reserve and quiet, Ann Dowd plays Linda, Richard’s ex-wife, as a woman seeking to find the reason that all her parenting wasn’t enough to keep her son from committing this atrocity. She lends humanity to that side of the conversation, often rambling and losing herself as she tries to come to terms with her son’s death and the drastic circumstances surrounding it. Her deeply moving performance earned her a BAFTA nomination for best supporting actress, and she more than earned it in the process.
Mass is a well-acted, relevant discussion of mass shootings that brings not the politics or the money to the forefront of the discussion, but the humans, engaging the audience with vastly differing portrayals of parents in distress, fully earning a spot as one of the Greatest Films of All Time. This film is not for the faint of heart, and those who have trauma associated with violence like this should be wary in watching it, but it remains impactful and relevant in our increasingly divided society. This film is currently available to stream on Hulu if you’re looking for a good think brought about by fantastic performances.
