Watch Brie Larson In the Trailer for SXSW Award-Winner 'Short Term 12'

The summer months aren't just the time when studios unload all of their big guns in hopes of winning the annual box office wars, it's also when many of the most praised films of the early festival season begin to emerge. One of those arriving with ton of rave reviews and awards to match is Short Term 12, starring 21 Jump Street's Brie Larson.

The first trailer for the SXSW Grand Jury and Audience Award winner has been released, and the film puts Larson in her heaviest emotional drama yet. She plays Grace, a young woman who must deal with her own personal problems while working with high-risk kids at a foster care facility. The second feature film from writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton also stars John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom) as Grace's boyfriend, Rami Malek (The Master), Kaitlyn Dever, and Keith Stanfield. The footage presents a whirl of emotions, perhaps putting too much out there because it's hard to fully grasp the film's tone. But what is there is powerful stuff, and this looks like one of those quiet gems that could sneak up on a lot of people. It's also good to see Larson embark on a different type of role than we're accustomed to from her.

Short Term 12 opens on August 23rd.


Short Term 12 trailer by FilmBoy-gr