Troubles
Grace (Brie Larson) and Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) are co-workers at a foster care facility which takes in children with issues and troubled backgrounds. They are also a couple with plans to get married in the not so distant future. But suddenly Grace's life is turned upside down when first she discovers that she is pregnant then discovers her father who abused her as a child is about to be released from prison. On top of that there is a new girl at the facility, Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever), and it appears she is suffering the same sort of abuse which Grace suffered when she was her age. The combination of things starts to get to take their toll on her and her relationship to Mason.
I have given more away in that synopsis for "Short Term 12" than I would like to have but felt I had to because otherwise this drama would not sound like something worth watching. Without giving that information what I would have said is this is a snapshot of life at a facility for troubled teens and the life of one of the counsellors who knows what it is like to have similar troubles.
Now the thing about "Short Term 12" is that it has a quiet style as this story unfolds, we get some moments of drama such as one child trying to runaway whilst another sings a rap song he wrote himself about knowing what being normal is. At the same time we get a slow glimpse that things are not right for Grace, a moment of closeness with Mason leads to her slapping him. But this is a movie which whilst having impact moments doesn't slap you in the face with them, instead it is all about the reveal be it Grace's own story or those of the children.
What this all boils down to is that "Short Term 12" is a movie which you can't really review as it is features a story which unfolds, moments which move you and a quiet style which to be honest maybe if I was 20 years younger I might have struggled with. And whilst I haven't mentioned it, it is beautifully acted from all those involved.
