"Mass": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
Films like "Mass" don't come around often. The chilling depiction of parents dealing with the tragic death of a child resulting from a school shooting and its aftermath will make your skin crawl and your heart pound. "Mass" is not a pleasant experience nor is it meant to be. Audiences have to endure the emotional pain that comes with losing a child and confronting the inevitable demons that await. First time director/writer Fran Kranz (previously starring in the classic "The Cabin In The Woods") won't be recognized by the Academy Awards because of the film's gnawing realism, but I found it to be an extraordinary piece of filmmaking.
Predominantly located in one meeting room at a church, two couples dish out their frustrations years after a school shooting.
The acting is off the charts. Amongst the impressive and grounded performances include Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd and Reed Birney. Isaacs remains the standout, as a wide range of emotions are on display from being an angry father to an open minded husband is an amazing feat to watch. There were multiple instances where his lines of dialogue emotionally moved me as much as any film of the past few years. The crisp writing and believable characters create inevitable sparks which leave their mark long after the film is over.
This is not to take away from Kranz's meticulous eye for direction. All of the various cuts down to the pitch perfect casting develop a flurry of dramatic highs. Even though most of the population cannot relate to the horror that these parents have suffered, a strong connection to each character persists throughout. Besides some minute flaws, Kranz's achievement should be recognized as one of the best films of 2021.
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