12 and Holding

12 and Holding

Do You Know Who Your Kids Are?

Directed by Michael Cuesta

Produced by Serenade Films, Echo Lake Entertainment

200690 min6.8 / 10

A somber coming-of-age drama about three young friends grappling with loss, mortality, and the painful process of finding their own identities separate from their families.

Three close knit 12-year-olds - introverted Jacob, precocious Malee and vulnerable Leonard - start down the path of self-discovery and begin to distinguish their own voices from those of their parents.

Questions people ask

  • Is 12 and Holding sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.

  • Does 12 and Holding end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 64% of films.

  • Is 12 and Holding scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.

  • Is 12 and Holding violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is 12 and Holding easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

45/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity38

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise38

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love60

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like 12 and Holding

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as 12 and Holding

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like 12 and Holding, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like 12 and Holding, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like 12 and Holding, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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