Watch Mass

Mass is a powerful movie that explores the dynamics of grief, forgiveness, and redemption among two sets of parents who are still reeling from a school shooting that claimed the lives of their children. The movie is directed and written by playwright Fran Kranz, and it stars Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd, and Reed Birney in leading roles.

The movie takes place in a church where the two sets of parents meet for the first time since the tragedy took place. The parents of the shooter, played by Isaacs and Plimpton, come to meet the parents of the victim, played by Dowd and Birney, in an attempt to find closure and make peace with what has happened.

The movie explores the complexities of grief and how different people cope with loss in different ways. While the parents of the victim are still consumed by anger and bitterness, the parents of the shooter struggle with guilt and shame that eats away at them every day. What follows is a tense and emotionally fraught conversation between the two sets of parents, as they grapple with the weight of their shared experience.

Despite its heavy subject matter, Mass is a really well-crafted movie that is beautifully acted and emotionally engaging from start to finish. The dialogue is sharp and incisive, and the performances from all four actors are outstanding, especially Ann Dowd, who gives a heart-wrenching and nuanced portrayal of a mother who is still grappling with the loss of her child.

The movie is shot mostly in one location, which is the church, and this adds to the claustrophobic and intimate feeling of the movie. The camera work is understated but effective, and the use of close-ups is particularly effective in conveying the emotional state of the characters.

One of the things that I appreciated about Mass is that it doesn't try to provide easy answers or solutions to the tragedy that took place. Instead, the movie forces the viewer to confront the uncomfortable reality that sometimes there are no easy answers or solutions to complex, emotionally charged situations like this.

The movie is ultimately a meditation on the meaning of forgiveness and the power of empathy in the face of unspeakable pain. It is a poignant and moving exploration of the human experience and the way that we are all connected by our shared capacity for love and loss.

In terms of minor criticisms, some viewers might find the movie slow-moving at times, and there are moments where the dialogue veers into melodrama. However, these minor quibbles are outweighed by the movie's emotional depth and the strength of the performances.

Overall, Mass is a must-see movie for anyone who is interested in exploring the complexities of grief and the power of human connection in the face of unspeakable tragedy. It is a deeply moving and thought-provoking movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

Mass is a 2021 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 51 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6 and a MetaScore of 81.