Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I grew up with abuse and this movie is heart warming and real.not easy to watch, but if youve had tough times it just makes sense. The emotions are on point. Brie Larson is brilliant. Marcus is spot on. And it is also cute and funny while being authentic and heavy. Doesn't try hard at being anything though. It just works

Close to the best, if not The Best film I have ever seen. With a grounded realistic story and honest emotional themes this movie will make you cry from sadness and hope. It will make you laugh at the joys and naivety of life as well as force the viewer to pause and think about the ways they effect others and how others effect them. The flawless acting from not only the main characters, but supporting actors and actresses will leave you forgeting that what you see and hear is scripted. Bravo Short Term 12!

The film is set in a short term foster-care facility for at-risk teens and follows trials and tribulations of the teens living their and staff members Grace (Larson) and Mason (Gallagher Jr.) who take care of them. When a new child arrives at the facility, it forces Grace to confront her troubled past whilst continuing her struggle in preparing soon-to-be 18 Marcus (Keith Stanfield) for life outside of the care facility. The film is inspired by Cretton's experience of working in a foster-care facility for young people and this helps the film tell an emotionally honest and heart-wrenching story, avoiding most of the tropes and clichés common in these type of films. It was met with critical acclaim when was first released and won the Grand Jury Narrative Feature Award and the Narrative Audience Award at South by Southwest Film festival. Short Term 12 features masterful storytelling, its tightly scripted with natural everyday dialogue that comes across as real and improvised and is cemented by true to life , seemingly effortless and naturalistic form of acting with performances so-convincing it almost makes you feel like your watching a documentary. There are no one dimensional characters in the film and each feel authentic. In particular Brie Larson gives a impressive and awe-inspiring performance as grace a caring and loving young women with heavy baggage from her past locked up tight and bursting at the seams due to her inability to trust and open up to people. She was nominated for numerous accolades for her performance in the film and won Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Actress. The two scenes that bookend the film were particularly interesting. The film opens with Mason telling Nate (a new worker in the facility) and Jessica an embarrassing and comedic story of his first week working at the facility. This excellently establishes the friendships between the characters with natural interaction between them which is a pleasure to watch. Before mason finishes telling the story, a child in his underpants with American flag wrapped around him like a Cape, busts out and makes a run for the exit. The ending scene also contains mason telling a funny story and again the story is interrupted by Sammy running for the exit. This excellently reinforces the naturalistic style of the film as it shows the audience that the narrative includes the everyday struggles of the characters and that there are no easy solutions. Additionally the scenes are similar but the differences effectively showcase how things have subtly changed. It particular they show how our relationship to the characters have evolved. at the start of the movie, we were in the shoes of Nate (not knowing what to expect) . At the end, we are more familiar with the characters and have a better understanding of what happens at the facility. The film is shot predominantly using hand-held cameras and consists mostly of medium and close-ups shots.The shots are tightly framed and this help make the viewer feel as close to the emotions on screen as possible. The camera is a patient, unobtrusive presence among the characters and the almost observational style also strengthens the audience's emotional connection to the characters in the film. Though some may criticize the rather convenient and perfect intertwining of individual narratives and struggles throughout the film as well as its irrepressible sense of optimism, I feel the film sticks to his naturalistic style effectively, never becoming melodramatic or unbelievable. The various revelations that occur throughout the film come to us organically in characters' conversation and it has beautifully crafted lighting which gives a warm glow to the film and a beautiful sense of optimism. In the hands of a less talented director, the film could have felt overly-sentimental and syrupy but instead feels brutally honest with the right amount of grit and grace. In closing short term 12 is a marvel of a film. It is perfectly scripted piece of drama that features wonderful performances and a genuine and heartfelt story that will stick with you long after you watch the film.

Amazing film. This movie captures the hermetic, strange, painful, troubling world of a residential institution for troubled youth. I have worked in a similar facility and I believe that this movie really nails the way in which a place like this becomes an entity all its own with its own rules and character and reality. Short term 12 is its own world and the people who reside there are simultaneously cut off from the outside world and attached by quirky and generally disappointing bonds to that outside world. This film also faithfully coveys the ways that a person who works in this type of setting is molded by the experience and bound to the peculiar world within the walls. The movie has humorous and absurd aspects but makes clear that many of the kids are there, to a great extent, because of the dismissiveness and callousness of the adults in their outside worlds who failed to nurture and protect the kids.