Short Term 12

Short Term 12

A film about kids and the grown-ups who hit them.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Produced by Traction Media, Cinedigm

200822 min6.7 / 10

A compassionate, observational portrait of caregivers and damaged youth in a group home, balancing tenderness with the weight of trauma and institutional struggle.

A day at a group home for troubled adolescents. Denim is the head counselor, involved somehow with Natalia, another counselor. During the day, we watch them and other staff deal with a boy who's getting into fights though he has only a week to go before his 18th birthday, a girl whose birthday it is, a foul-mouthed lad, and others. Denim uses music to calm one youth, orients a new staff member, sneaks a marijuana cigarette during a break, and by the day's end, talks to Natalia. Do any of us have it together?

Questions people ask

  • Is Short Term 12 sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.

  • Is Short Term 12 easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 62% of films.

  • Does Short Term 12 end with hope? Somewhat. More hopeful than 62% of films.

  • Is Short Term 12 violent? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

  • Is Short Term 12 scary? 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.

46/ 100

Cinnamon Score

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

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity72

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise20

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love55

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like Short Term 12

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Short Term 12

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Short Term 12, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Short Term 12, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Short Term 12, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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