“My mom died. I went to live with my dad and…it’s impossible to worry about anything else when there’s blood coming out of you.”
Sporting a strong cast of now-famous faces, “Short Term 12” is a touching indie comedy/drama about a group home for teenagers with troubled pasts.
Brie Larson takes on her first leading role here as Grace; she plays a young woman who runs day-to-day life in the home, while Rami Malek stars as Nate, a new staff member fresh out of school. John Gallagher Jr. plays Larson’s boyfriend Mason, an employee at the home, and the film introduces Kaitlyn Dever who co-stars, as Jayden, a new, standoffish teenage intake. LaKeith Stanfield and Stephanie Beatriz appear in supporting roles.
This is quite the impressive cast when you consider Larson and Malek have both gone on to win Oscars for leading roles. Stanfield was nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actor,’ and the other three are all featured in critically acclaimed roles on television or the big screen.
The entire cast give thoughtful, committed performances, and Larson and Dever deserve particular praise for the vulnerability their roles require. Their sisterly relationship, which develops over the course of the film, is heart-warming, despite the pain that brings them together. I also can’t help but highlight Stanfield, whose character sports a tough-guy persona, but carries much emotional baggage underneath. A scene of a character getting their head shaved is usually emotionally significant in a film, but perhaps never more so than when Stanfield’s does here.
Inevitably, the film discusses serious subject matters that potential viewers should consider before watching; however, rest assured the cast handles them deftly, depicting the anger, sadness, and trauma that can result from an unsafe and insecure childhood.
The writing only occasionally falls into simplistic tropes, such as the parallels between Grace and Jayden, which are revealed towards the third act and feel too convenient. The film underuses some characters, but certain scenes possibly suffer due to budget constraints or the desire for a tighter run-time.
Nonetheless, I found Cretton’s screenplay to be sensitive and nuanced. I particularly liked the scenes highlighting the disconnect between the therapists and administrators who run the group home, and the young people on the ground who actually speak to the kids on a daily basis. Cretton’s choice to use handheld cameras in these scenes signifies Grace’s fury, and makes us feel it too.
This reviewer does not, however, want to make this film sound too dour or serious; the film brings lots of laughs as well. Whether it’s Grace and Mason joking and teasing each other in their time off, Jayden’s sharp sense of humour and irony, or the schadenfreude derived from Malek’s innate awkwardness as Nate tries to tiptoe around without saying the wrong thing— hint: don’t say you’ve, “always wanted to work with underprivileged kids” to the kids themselves, Nate!—the film frequently lightens the tone for much-needed relief. The final shot is glorious, carefree, and a well-earned sweet moment for the film to end on.
“Short Term 12” is a tender and affecting comedy/drama. It ultimately benefits from its tremendous cast, Cretton’s storytelling prowess, and the strength of its subject matter to stand out in a crowded field of worthwhile indie flicks.
*”Short Term 12″ is currently available to watch on most streaming platforms. (Note: is free on Peacock, Tubi, Vudu, and Pluto TV).
