Review of Short Term 12 (2013) by Brett H — 19 Jun 2016

Short Term 12 is a depressing and disturbingly realistic drama centered on the supervisors at a group home for troubled teens which gives great insight into this world from the experiences of the writer/director, Destin Daniel Cretton, who himself worked at a similar facility.

The film stars a then-unknown, Brie Larson, in a star-making performance that was clear evidence of her great work to come and her stripped-down and damaged portrayal of this character really stuck with me.

John Gallagher Jr is also terrific here as a fellow co-worker and long-term boyfriend to Larson's character who seems incapable of making her happy, which drives a majority of the hard-hitting drama in the film.

As said, this film is pretty bleak at times due to the frank realism; each troubled youth suffering from their individual nuances, but it's also uplifting seeing how much the staff care about helping people and you leave the film feeling fulfilled emotionally.

The story takes some predicable turns (and a few way out of left-field) but overall this is a solid drama that stands out due to the exceptional performances from the two leads and the serious handling of the subject matter is praise-worthy.