Short Term 12

This slice-of-life drama set in a Californian care home for adolescents reveals the daily challenges facing troubled residents and staff with urgent problems of their own. Inspired by the personal experiences of first-time writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton, it suggests that carers with unresolved issues from their own formative years often have compelling personal reasons to work in this sector. Thoughtful and engrossing, the result is a film of rich characterisation and strong central performances from Brie Larson's embattled staffer, her kindly but befuddled boyfriend (John Gallagher Jr), and Kaitlin Dever as a bright teenager whose aggressive sarcasm isn't helping anyone. Now and again, it's a tad contrived, yet there's a generosity of spirit in the storytelling, and the sudden switches from comic misadventure to aching tragedy feel warranted when each new day brings a fresh crisis. Warmer and less confrontational than, say, the vintage British juvenile shocker Scum, it's a prime example of a modest US indie production deserving a wider audience.