Disc Reviews

Short Term 12 Review

3rd Mar 2014

Short Term 12, directed and written by Destin Daniel Cretton, is told from the point of view of Grace, a supervisor at a foster care facility. The facility houses at risk teenagers, each of whom Grace is passionate about, but when the quiet, angry Marcus is about to turn 18 and leave the facility and step out by himself she struggles to help him adjust. And her world is thrown into even more confusion when a new arrival Jayden is sent to the facility. Grace sees herself reflected in Jayden and they form a connection.

We see first hand the supervisors daily work with the kids, from the mundane to the intense and deeply moving moments. How they fight for those in their care, how they try to help them deal with all their emotions and regain some control over their lives

The film uses different form of art as a communication device through the film, Marcus deals with his dark past with rap lyrics while Jayden draws and writes childrens stories which hint at whats been going on behind closed doors. While it seems like this is just a way to cope with their troubled worlds they also mirror the lives of those who care for them. Grace who is mixed up in an affair with her co worker Mason, both struggle with their own pasts and as the film progresses their already complicated relationship becomes strained. Can the connection with Jayden finally help Grace come to terms with her past?

This film is full of powerful performances, including Brie Larson as the strong but flawed Grace and Kaitlyn Dever as the damaged Jayden.

We watch as the adults, not just the children have to learn to adjust to new roles and survive. The younger actors in the cast have a real bond with each other and bring to life these troubled children, you really do feel for them. This is a film that needs to be seen, it depicts so many topics that are just swept under the carpet, but shows you there is a way to survive, that there can always be hope.

Watching Short Term 12 you run a gauntlet of your own personal emotions, you see parts of yourself in the children. Those moments we all have of trying to find out who we really are and find our own way in a chaotic world.