A deeply humane drama about foster care, trauma, and the fragile work of showing up for other people. It balances pain with warmth and feels especially strong when it stays grounded in small acts of care rather than big speeches.
Short Term 12
Where to watch: Buy
Movie · Drama
Fri · 1h 36m
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever
Overview
Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.
Director
Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast
Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever
Curator Review
Verdict
A deeply humane drama about foster care, trauma, and the fragile work of showing up for other people. It balances pain with warmth and feels especially strong when it stays grounded in small acts of care rather than big speeches.
Best for
viewers who like emotionally direct indie dramas
stories about found family and caregiving
performances driven by naturalism and vulnerability
films that mix heartbreak with hope
Skip if
you want a light or comforting watch
you prefer plot-heavy dramas over character studies
you are sensitive to abuse, self-harm, or trauma-centered material
you dislike movies that aim to make you cry
Overview
Short Term 12 is one of those rare dramas that earns its emotional impact through patience and specificity. It understands the daily labor of care work, the way compassion can be both a strength and a burden, and how trauma lingers in ordinary moments rather than only in dramatic revelations.
Worth noting
Brie Larson gives the film its center with a performance that feels lived-in, guarded, and quietly devastating. The ensemble around her is equally strong, especially in the way the movie lets young people feel complicated without reducing them to case studies.
Bottom line
What makes it resonate is its balance: it is tender without being sentimental, painful without feeling exploitative. The film’s faith in connection can be moving, even when it doesn’t pretend healing is simple or complete.
Top Letterboxd reviews
cinéfila... 🕯️ (5★) · 3759 likes
if kindness was a movie it would be this one
clownhead (4.5★) · 1896 likes
films anchored by overwhelming kindness are so perpetually underrated
andrea🌹 (5★) · 1813 likes
every single lying ass bitch who suggested this in my 'rec me some cute lil indies' list owes me a hundred dollars and a fucking hug i have a thesis paper to do i cant be crying about an entire foster home at 5pm on a monday
. (4.5★) · 1549 likes
how did this movie just tell me everything's gonna be alright and kissed me goodnight
maria (4★) · 1513 likes
rami malek rubbing his cheek aggressively with purell, cleaning doors with some nice looking gloves on, eating bananas, vacuuming couches and saying the wrong shit all the time is straight up 2020 mood and possibly forever mood
Themes
foster care, trauma recovery, found family, emotional labor, compassion, healing, youth vulnerability, caregiving
Topics
indie drama, coming-of-age, ensemble cast, emotional, heartbreaking, hopeful, social realism, character study, 2010s, trauma