esrosedotblog

I imagine it is nearly impossible to make a "teen angst" film that is not a cliche.

But the makers of this one have done it.

Short Term 12 concerns the residents in a home for troubled teens. A foster care facility. Not just a shelter. These are hard core cases.

I loved this movie.

The characters are complex and manage to avoid any stereotype. The adults who handle the facility are not perfect. Life is a day at a time process. People come, people go. That includes parents who have disqualified themselves through their behavior.

Best of all, spoiler, it has a relatively happy ending.

It breaks my heart that films like this are not widely distributed or, perhaps, wanted by the public.

But they exist and there is an audience, at least me.

I would very much like to see this again and so I will give it a 5 out of Netflix5. Well, maybe a 4 as I hate to make promises to kids that I can't keep. There is enough of that in this film. The kids work around it.

Labels: films