Review of Short Term 12 (2013) by Amanda N — 08 Mar 2016

I really, really love this movie. However, Brie Larson's outstanding performance is really the only thing keeping it at five stars and not four and a half. I love the dynamic between Grace and Jayden, but parts of it bothered me.

There are several scenes where Grace opens up to Jayden about her own abuse, but all of these instances are unprompted. It makes me wonder what was so special about Jayden? What kept Grace from opening up to Marcus or Luis.

.. or her boyfriend. Sure, sometimes there is something special about a person and you feel oddly connected to them... but this is a movie. These types of things need to be explained... or else questions such as mine arise.

I didn't like the overuse of shaky-cam. It made the movie feel atmospheric for sure, but also made me feel nauseated. The acting is by far the movie's strong point. Couple that with the fact that I worship Brie Larson, relate to this material and am super into indie flicks -- you've got a perfect recipe for a movie I'll love.

.. despite several major flaws in the script.