Short Term 12
Composite Score: 84.6
Starring: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Alex Calloway, Kevin Balmore, and LaKeith Stanfield
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Writer: Destin Daniel Cretton
Genres: Drama, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: R for language and brief sexuality
Box Office: $1.65 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Short Term 12 is Destin Daniel Cretton’s feature film about the daily lives of the employees and patients at a residential treatment facility, based on his short film of the same name. The film features Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr., Stephanie Beatriz, and Rami Malek as the staffers of the facility and Kaitlyn Dever, Alex Calloway, Kevin Balmore, and LaKeith Stanfield as a few of its more prominent residents. Besides being a star-studded launching pad for many successful 2010s-and-on film careers, the film also serves as a poignant look at mental health, trauma treatment, and some of the other facets of humanity rarely explored in cinematic formats. Strong performances, emotionally engaged dialogue, and a story with stakes that feel incredibly more real than most films of its generation have made this indie darling into an all-time great.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Short Term 12 is a film made for adults (and mature teens) and is not for the faint of heart. It features themes of sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, unplanned pregnancy, abandonment, grief, the foster system, self-harm, and other similar situations that not everyone in the audience might be ready to process and/or dive into just yet. It’s a deeply important film in that it takes care not to graphically portray any of these subjects on screen, but even the discussions might be more than some are ready for in the immediate moment. Gauge for yourself how your own mental health is before diving into this one head-first.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
The authenticity and emotionality of Cretton’s story and dialogue would be enough to earn this film a spot among the greats on their own, but the performances of its main cast really help bring the whole thing home in Short Term 12, elevating it to all-time status. Larson’s performance as Grace drives the film, engaging you with genuine emotion and expressions of that emotion that are so recognizable and memorable that you feel like you could meet this person around the next corner. Gallagher does well as Mason opposite her, providing the slight humor and groundedness that she and the rest of the crew need to face the daunting task of life with past (and present) traumas. Malek’s new guy Nate acts very much as the audience surrogate, reacting with shock and disgust and eventually empathy as he experiences the reality of the situations unfolding around him. Dever’s Jayden is a deeply empathetic and all-too-familiar character, which she plays excellently, delivering the stand-offish nature alongside the vulnerability and the desire for connection in a beautiful blend of humanity. The film’s biggest standout – in a slew of standouts – is LaKeith Stanfield as Marcus. His story is the axle on which the whole film turns, and his subtle but touching performance ties the whole film together in a package that is equal parts gut-wrenching and endearing, something that you wish you could look away from but that you know cannot be ignored.
The ensemble cast of Short Term 12 help make Destin Daniel Cretton’s beautifully real film into something truly great, full of emotion, originality, and humanity, as it earns a spot on this blog’s list. The subject matter could be potentially upsetting for some viewers, so checking your warnings couldn’t hurt. For those of you who haven’t seen it and are ready to step in, it is currently streaming for free on Peacock, with ads on many services, and can be rented on most others.
