Starring: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr, Rami Malek, Stephanie Beatriz, Kaitlyn Dever, Keith Stanfield
Written and Directed By: Destin Crettin
It should literally be a crime how underseen this movie is, and how it wasn’t nominated for a single Academy Award. Easily one of the best films of the year, Short Term 12 features a star making, and incredible performance from Brie Larson, Larson plays Grace, who works at a group home for troubled youth. Her boyfriend (Gallagher) also works at the group home, as he was once a foster kid himself. Malek and Beatriz are the two other staff members.
Not only do we navigate through Grace’s life, but we also explore the kids in the group home. They all have stories, they all are compelling characters on their own. The film features a strong female lead, who is strong on her own. She has a boyfriend, but the movie isn’t about that. The movie is more about Grace’s personal self discovery. There’s something so refreshingly realistic and captivating about Brie Larson’s performance.
I’ve seen my fare share of “indie” films in 2013, and I’m surprised that Short Term 12 didn’t get more attention. It was actually never released theatrically in my market (and I live in a fairly major market). Somehow it crawled past 1M domestically.
Definitely a must see fiilm.
FINAL GRADE: A