Review of Short Term 12 (2013) by Timothy O — 12 Oct 2013

For a film like this, authenticity is key. Thankfully, director Destin Cretton crafts a story that feels real. He once worked at a facility like the one portrayed in the film, and that definitely shows through the way he is able to create characters that feel like real human beings, dealing with real life problems.

Brie Larson, giving the best performance of her career by far, plays Grace, who works at Short Term 12, and doesn't hesitate to risk her job and oftentimes physical well-being to support and protect the kids she is responsible for looking after.

Her troubled past is slowly revealed throughout the film, mainly by her interactions with the kids residing at Short Term 12. Her boyfriend, played by John Gallagher Jr. (Jim Harper from The Newsroom) is clearly passionate about his job, and like Grace, genuinely cares about these kids.

He wants to help them in any way he can, even if it's just sitting there listening to a teenager express their disturbing childhood through rap. This film is as much a character study, as it is an examination of the the roles people play in each others lives.

Grace and Mason need those kids just as much the kids need them, and the authenticity of both the characters, and place, make for one of the better independent films I've seen this year.