Each week in our Plugged In Picks column, we take a look back over the last month to try to identify the gems (hidden or otherwise) that might be worth your entertainment time. This month, we’d like to point you toward a pick that might not best be described as entertainment, but one that certainly asks viewers to grapple with some of life’s most difficult questions.
The movie Mass is the epitome of a quiet, profound indie movie. There aren’t any explosions, car chases, kidnappings or anything like that. But there is a mystery: the unanswered question of why a teen boy become a school shooter before taking his own life.
The parents of the young, disaffected shooter have no answers. Nor do the parents of one of the victims of the attack. But Mass focuses on their unlikely relationship as they sit, listen and try to help each other understand a tragedy that’s beyond comprehension. Along the way there are questions and conversations about God, forgiveness and trying to come to spiritual terms with an unthinkable loss.
Obviously, Mass isn’t the kind of movie you watch if you’re looking for a light, diversionary bit of CGI cotton candy on a Friday night. In fact, it’s difficult, painful viewing. But if you appreciate movies that try to grapple with life’s—and death’s—biggest questions, Mass is worth consideration. As Plugged In’s Paul Asay concluded in his review, “Folks who’ve dealt with unimaginable loss know how difficult it is to move on. Some never do. Mass tells us it’s not easy, but it also gives us the ingredients to push forward: tears. Honesty. And ultimately, forgiveness.”
Recent Comments