Mass explores a meeting set up between two sets of parents, both irreparably damaged by the loss respectively suffered by, and caused by their children. Borne from the aftermath of a School Shooting, the meeting is set after time has passed, though the pain is permanently raw for both sides.

 

While civility dominates the conversation for an admirable amount of time, grievances inevitably resurface through scar tissue; how could the parents of the perpetrator not have known what was coming? Why did the victim’s parents use the media to hurt the other couple?

 

Mass is deftly helmed by Fran Kranz in his debut as both Writer and Director. The film explores the chasm of unimaginable grief and pain these characters have experienced, and how the power of compassion and openness to understand an unfamiliar point of view leads towards some semblance of healing for them. Mass is engrossing, affecting and ultimately hopeful for these people.

 

Similar to films like 12 Angry Men, My Dinner with Andre or The Sunset Limited, where a conversation is the breadth of the film, containing entirely the context, conflict and resolution; Mass completely captures your attention, challenging your perceptions and leading you to hope for the best for its characters.