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Short Term 12

Play trailer Poster for Short Term 12 R Released Aug 23, 2013 1h 36m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 175 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A supervisor (Brie Larson) at a group home for at-risk teens connects with a new resident (Kaitlyn Dever) while facing a personal crisis of her own.
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Short Term 12

Short Term 12

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Critics Consensus

Short Term 12 is an emphatic, revealing drama that pulls audiences into the perspective of neglected youths.

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Critics Reviews

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Geoffrey Macnab Independent (UK) Brie Larson is very impressive as the caring, funny supervisor whose own demons threaten to engulf her. Rated: 3/5 Dec 10, 2013 Full Review Ben Sachs Chicago Reader Set in a foster-care facility outside of San Francisco, this independent drama is vivid and heartfelt in its depiction of social work, at times recalling some of Frederick Wiseman's great documentary portraits. Dec 10, 2013 Full Review Liam Lacey Globe and Mail The film's climax feels a little rushed and overwrought, but the movie's real resonance is its exploration of empathy and vocation. Rated: 3/4 Nov 15, 2013 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Ten years after its theatrical release, Short Term 12 remains nothing short of a masterpiece. Rated: 5/5 Dec 28, 2023 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies A movie that doesn’t lose itself in the typical Hollywood contrivances and forced melodrama... Rated: 4/5 Aug 25, 2022 Full Review Rita Cannon Battleship Pretension It's a perfect example of the raw emotion and attention to detail that make Short Term 12 such a moving, unforgettable experience. Feb 24, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Allen F What an amazing film that highlights the realities of life in a truthful way. The writer is not writing from the outside looking in viewpoint but understands what these characters feel and are going through and allows the viewers of the film to as well. The acting was phenomenal by every person in the film. The movie was a minimalist and perfect all the way through. Every scene and line had a reason to be there and it created something amazing. More films need to study and take after this simplistic yet emotionally complex masterpiece that was created here. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Gregory M The movie was great. There’s no taking away from that, but there is a cautionary tail within this movie, The counselor who identified with Jaden crossed every single professional boundary known except for sexual relations. Many people go into the mental health field because they have gone through their own trauma and are attracted by the opportunity to help others with theirs. This is exactly what the counselor in the movie did. She over identified with the Jayden, disclosed way to much personal information and became basically enmeshed with Jayden. While this movie had a happy ending, the counselor’s behavior in real life could have had devastating consequences for Jayden had the relationship gone south. I understand that the counselor wasn’t a therapist but I’m sure she was trained on professional boundaries. This is really just an aside for people who may be in therapy and take this movie as an appropriate therapeutic relationship between the counselor and Jayden. Other than my “therapist hat” view on the movie, I loved the movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review Cathleen M I was really enjoying this film, and the care and love given to support these vulnerable young people. Then I was really disturbed to see all the daily medications being given out to the youth they were trying to help. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/06/24 Full Review Kay C A movie that doesn't hide the impact of child abuse or how hard it is to heal. A tear jerker with compassion and empathy at its center. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/24 Full Review Audience Member Great story. So real and moving! Fell in love with Brie Larsons character Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/07/24 Full Review Jesus V De las mejores peliculas que he visto, la historia y actuaciones son perfectas Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Short Term 12

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Movie Info

Synopsis A supervisor (Brie Larson) at a group home for at-risk teens connects with a new resident (Kaitlyn Dever) while facing a personal crisis of her own.
Director
Destin Daniel Cretton
Producer
Asher Goldstein, Maren Olson, Joshua Astrachan, Ron Najor
Screenwriter
Destin Daniel Cretton
Distributor
Cinedigm
Production Co
Animal Kingdom, Traction Media
Rating
R (Language|Brief Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 23, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 15, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.0M
Runtime
1h 36m
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