Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Starring Brie Larson, John Gallagher, Jr., and Kaitlyn Dever.
By Mitch McCurren
Thirteen years before he was helming what seems poised to become one of the biggest box office hits of all-time with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton hit an absolute home run in his directorial debut, Short Term 12. The film depicts life in a group home for teenagers with difficult backgrounds and their supervisors. The cast is stacked with actors who went on to become way more famous than they were in 2013, and rightly so, based on how excellent they were here. Romantic and work partners Grace (Brie Larson) and Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) are joined by new volunteer Nate (Rami Malek) as supervisors for a variety of teens including Marcus (LaKeith Stanfield) and Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever). Short Term 12 is ambitious in the emotional heights it seeks to land. In the wrong hands this story could’ve ended up as a cliched, over-sentimental mess, but with Cretton’s boldness and Brie Larson’s powerhouse performance leading the way, it delivers one of the most emotionally/spiritually satisfying, life-affirming stories I’ve ever seen.
