Short Term 12

"This quietly wonderful exercise in glorious empathy more than lives up to the rapturous advance buzz it has been generating – it's one of the best American dramas in years. The worthy subject matter (foster care and child abuse) should make the film much harder work than it is. But it just breezes along with a ground level matter-of-factness that thankfully never spills over into gritty verité stereotypes. There's an 'American' quality to its social conscience that I cannot recall perceiving in any other recent film."

"A film about scars, some physical, others emotional, but all examined with a sensitivity and understanding that cuts deep."

"The lead character's called Grace, but don't be put off: Cretton's tough-love snapshot of shattered youth is achingly moving rather than manipulative or mawkish."

"There's heart, soul and personality to burn ... But this is a film that, like many of its young characters, desperately needs to calm down."

"Even as the gathering melodramatic storms threaten to swamp this pungent slice of life, Mr. Cretton manages to earn your tears honestly."

"Well intentioned, but somehow inauthentic."

"Affecting drama is a breakout for Brie Larson without losing its ensemble balance."

"A miracle of a movie. Beautifully written and perfectly played, all of human life is here: the good, the bad, the messy and the uplifting."