--- title: "Mass" year: 2021 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/mass" fi1m_id: "mass" imdb_id: "tt11389748" tmdb_id: 423333 wikidata_id: "Q104213702" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 20 published: "2026-10-03T02:18:17.866476+00:00" updated: "2026-10-03T02:18:18.152438+00:00" region: "PA" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mass (2021) Directed by Fran Kranz · 1h 51m · Drama ## Identity Mass - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/mass - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** mass - **IMDb ID:** tt11389748 - **TMDB ID:** 423333 - **Wikidata ID:** Q104213702 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11389748/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/423333, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104213702 **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 75 from 20 reviews *In a sentence:* Four parents in one room, and no such thing as an easy question > Fran Kranz’s four-parent drama is worth the emotional effort, chiefly for performances that make grief feel painfully individual. The writing sometimes pushes too hard towards release, but we recommend it to anyone prepared for a difficult conversation. ## Synopsis Gail (Martha Plimpton), Jay (Jason Isaacs), Linda (Ann Dowd) and Richard (Reed Birney) come together in one room for a conversation about their children and the grief left by violence. They want to understand what has happened, but each parent brings different questions and a different burden of responsibility. Linda has to reckon with her son’s actions as well as her own sorrow. As the four begin to talk, they face questions about what parents can know about their children, what they can explain and what they need from one another. ## Review Fran Kranz’s *Mass* is worth seeing for the care it takes with four grieving parents, even when the writing makes their conversation sound too arranged. The writer and director gives Gail, Jay, Linda and Richard a difficult task: to talk about their children when sorrow and responsibility make almost every sentence hazardous. There is little comfort in the chamber setting, and the film asks for sustained attention to people in pain. We recommend it, with a warning that its efforts to help them sometimes become too visible. Martha Plimpton gives Gail a grief that feels difficult to contain, and she is the strongest reason to stay with an encounter that can otherwise seem carefully supervised. Her performance makes the prospect of talking about a child feel like an ordeal in itself. Jason Isaacs is just as persuasive as Jay, giving the father’s anguish enough complexity that it cannot be tidied into a single response to violence. Their performances keep the conversation from settling into a sequence of speeches about loss. Ann Dowd has a particularly difficult task as Linda, a mother grappling with her son’s actions. We were moved by her difficulty in holding on to love for her son while reckoning with what he has done. The performance makes those feelings painfully credible without asking us to set responsibility aside. Reed Birney gives Richard enough complexity to deserve the same close attention, even beside performances that make their anguish more immediately apparent. Ryan Jackson-Healy’s cinematography keeps the chamber setting from becoming monotonous, although the film never quite loses its stage-bound feel. The visual restraint suits a conversation in which the actors need our attention for longer than a single speech. Lindsey Moran’s production design is appropriately unobtrusive, allowing the people occupying the space to hold our interest. The enclosure helps concentrate our attention, though it also makes the carefully organised discussion harder to escape when the writing falters. Yang-Hua Hu’s editing is less secure when abrupt cuts interrupt the atmosphere the actors have worked to establish. A pause in this conversation needs room, and some of those breaks feel impatient. Darren Morze’s music makes less of an impression than the carefully rendered room sound, which keeps us conscious of the shared space. The small sounds around the dialogue help make a potentially airless drama feel inhabited. The screenplay’s weakness is its determination to get somewhere useful with all this suffering. Some exchanges repeat emotional ground already covered, and the pressure towards catharsis can make the parents seem to be making progress because the script requires it. The actors usually make that progress convincing, but they cannot disguise every contrivance. A chamber drama depends on our believing that the conversation could go wrong; here, the careful handling sometimes reassures us more than the circumstances warrant. The four lead performances are reason enough to make time for these 111 minutes, provided the subject is something we feel able to sit with. There is no need to pretend the film is beyond criticism to acknowledge how forcefully it makes parental grief felt. Its solemnity can be tiring, and a companion hoping for diversion deserves fair warning. Choose it when everyone on the sofa is willing to listen. *Fi1m score 82, published 3 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics find Mass a harrowing, compassionate drama, with praise centred on the four lead performances. Ann Dowd, Martha Plimpton, Jason Isaacs and Reed Birney each draw particular notice across the reviews, suggesting an ensemble whose strength extends beyond any single role. The positive consensus values the film’s sensitive treatment of grief and its willingness to let difficult conversations unfold without sensationalism. For many critics, the emotional release feels earned by the actors’ restraint and the screenplay’s care. Reservations cluster around the staging and the pressure to deliver catharsis. Several reviews find the drama stagey or contrived, while others question moments of melodrama, sentimentality or repetition. The spread is fairly wide despite the clear positive lean: Deadline praises the film as distinctly cinematic, whereas The Wrap finds it overly contrived even while admiring the acting. The performances remain common ground when confidence in the filmmaking falls away. ## Straight answers **Is Mass worth watching?** *Mass* is worth watching for its four persuasive performances and its care with parental grief; we score it 82 out of 100. We recommend it to anyone prepared for a painful, sustained conversation, though the writing sometimes feels too arranged and pushes too firmly towards emotional release. **How long is Mass, and what is it rated?** *Mass* runs 1h 51m. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch Mass in Panama?** *Mass* is available to rent from Apple TV from PAB 4.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Mass, and is it suitable for children?** *Mass* has a UK 12A certificate, but its sustained focus on parental grief after violence makes it a difficult choice for children. The concern we highlight is the emotional strain of listening to four parents discuss their children and responsibility; we recommend it for viewers prepared for that distressing subject rather than a family evening. **How does Mass compare to Secrets & Lies?** *Mass* is the more solemn choice beside [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies), with both films drawing family pain out through difficult conversations. We recommend *Secrets & Lies* for a warmer evening with humour and embarrassment alongside the hurt; *Mass* better suits a willingness to concentrate on grief, though its writing sometimes steers the conversation too visibly. **What should I watch after Mass?** After *Mass*, try [*Secrets & Lies*](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies) (1996, Fi1m 88): Family pain emerges through conversation, with room for embarrassment and unexpected warmth. Then [*A Separation*](https://film.one/film/a-separation) (2011, Fi1m 93): Parents struggle with obligations nobody can meet without hurting someone else; and [*Ordinary People*](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people) (1980, Fi1m 81): A family struggles to speak honestly about grief, guilt and staying together. ### Reviews we read (20) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (88/100, inferred): Rooney praises the film as harrowing yet cathartic, valuing its psychological complexity and human connection over melodrama. He singles out Martha Plimpton’s emotionally raw performance and the ensemble’s finely calibrated work. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mass-4124702/) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (88/100, inferred): Gleiberman finds the film’s staged catharsis ultimately truthful and affecting, calling Kranz a bold new filmmaker. He singles out the committed performances, especially Ann Dowd’s sorrowful portrayal of a mother grappling with her son’s actions. [Read](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/mass-review-martha-plimpton-jason-isaac-ann-dowd-1234896551/) - **Empire**, Jordan King (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the drama emotionally exhausting but deeply cathartic, and praises its sensitive handling of grief. They single out the four lead performances, especially Jason Isaacs’s portrayal of a grieving father. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mass/) - **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (85/100, inferred): Strong finds Mass a tender, thoughtfully judged portrait of grief that avoids becoming mawkish or politically heavy-handed. She especially praises the extraordinary performances, particularly those of Martha Plimpton, Ann Dowd and Jason Isaacs. [Read](https://lwlies.com/festivals/mass-sundance-review) - **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich (B): Ehrlich finds Mass a sobering, worthwhile drama whose intimate approach makes space for a difficult conversation. He praises the careful balance of the four lead performances, especially Reed Birney’s work, while faulting some abrupt cuts for weakening the atmosphere and catharsis. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/mass-review-sundance-1234611489/) - **The AV Club**, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky (B): The review finds Mass stagey and airless despite its strong performances. It especially praises Ann Dowd and the cast for carrying the film. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-aftermath-of-a-school-shooting-hangs-over-the-stage-1847801531) - **The Guardian**, Benjamin Lee (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film bleak and often difficult to watch, but ultimately strikingly effective. They praise the four central performances, especially Ann Dowd’s final story about her son. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jan/30/mass-review-jason-isaacs-martha-plimpton-sundance) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (70/100, inferred): Chang finds the film emotionally stirring and morally serious, though one climactic sequence pushes too hard for catharsis. He particularly praises the anguished, finely calibrated performances of its four leads. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-10-07/mass-review-ann-dowd-jason-isaacs-martha-plimpton) - **Screen Daily**, Fionnuala Halligan (70/100, inferred): Halligan presents the film as an accomplished debut, suggesting a positive verdict. The available text does not reveal a specific element she praises or criticizes. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/mass-sundance-review/5156388.article) - **The i Paper**, Geoffrey Macnab (70/100, inferred): Macnab finds the film harrowing and provocative, though its storytelling can feel stagey and contrived. He praises the nuanced screenplay and the intense performances of the four leads. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/mass-review-a-harrowing-provocative-look-at-forgiveness-and-anger-1412980) - **The New York Times** (65/100, inferred): The URL identifies this as a review of Mass (2021), but the page content is unavailable. Its critical verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified from the supplied page. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/07/movies/mass-review-stages-of-grief.html) - **Slant Magazine**, Wes Greene (2.5/4): The review finds the film emotionally powerful overall, though it sometimes slips into unnecessary melodrama and sentimentality. It praises the four lead actors’ restrained performances for making the parents’ grief feel palpable. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/mass-review-fran-kranz/) - **Radio Times**, Calum Baker (3/5): The review finds the socially minded chamber drama sporadically emotional, with the performances lifting a somewhat stagey screenplay. It especially praises Reed Birney and Martha Plimpton’s range in rare lead roles. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-p9emx0/mass) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Hammond calls the film exceptional, moving, and thrillingly cinematic. He especially praises the four actors’ performances and the film’s restrained, authentic dialogue. [Read](https://deadline.com/2021/01/mass-movie-review-fran-kranz-sundance-1234683917/) - **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (90/100, inferred): The critic calls Mass a moving, thought-provoking must-see that lingers after viewing. They praise the four lead actors’ emotionally powerful performances and Kranz’s careful, non-sensationalising script. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a38812559/mass-review-watch-online/) - **Collider**, Liam Gaughan (85/100, inferred): The critic praises Mass as a gripping, refined drama that confronts the lasting effects of violence. Isaacs’s portrayal of a grieving father is singled out as especially heartbreaking and complex. [Read](https://collider.com/jason-isaacs-mass/) - **Eye for Film**, Jeremy Mathews (80/100, inferred): Mathews finds the film a highly rewarding, compassionate drama despite minor missteps. He especially praises the four lead performances and Kranz’s restrained, inventive visual approach to the chamber setting. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mass-2021-film-review-by-jeremy-mathews) - **/Film**, Ethan Anderton (9 out of 10): Anderton calls the film a masterful, devastating directorial debut, though it can feel repetitive at times. He especially praises the emotionally riveting performances and Kranz’s thoughtful handling of the parents’ grief. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/579141/mass-review-sundance-2021/) - **The Playlist** (65/100, inferred): The page is blocked by anti-crawler protection, so its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. The URL identifies the article as a Sundance review of Mass. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/mass-sundance-review-20210130/) - **The Wrap** (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the drama overly contrived despite its timely subject and strong performances. The ensemble’s nuanced acting and the carefully rendered room sound stand out for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/mass-film-review-ann-dowd-martha-plimpton-jason-isaacs/) ## Details - **Director:** Fran Kranz - **Director:** Fran Kranz - **Writer:** Fran Kranz - **Cinematography:** Ryan Jackson-Healy - **Editor:** Yang-Hua Hu - **Music:** Darren Morze - **Production design:** Lindsey Moran - **Producer:** Fran Kranz, Casey Wilder Mott, J.P. Ouellette - **Cast:** Martha Plimpton as Gail; Jason Isaacs as Jay; Ann Dowd as Linda; Reed Birney as Richard; Breeda Wool as Judy; Michelle N. Carter as Kendra; Kagen Albright as Anthony; Michael White as Piano Teacher - **Runtime:** 1h 51m - **First release (the US):** 30 January 2021 - **Genres:** Drama - **Budget:** $300,000 - **Box office:** $131,357 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU56Ns1nXsE ## Where to watch in Panama - Apple TV: rent PAB 4.99, hd - Apple TV: buy PAB 9.99, hd *Checked 2026-10-03.* Also available in: AE, AR, AU, BR, CA, CL, CO, FI, JP, KR, MX, NO, NZ, PA, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Secrets & Lies* (1996), Fi1m 88: Family pain emerges through conversation, with room for embarrassment and unexpected warmth. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/secrets-and-lies.md) - *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: Parents struggle with obligations nobody can meet without hurting someone else. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md) - *The Son* (2002): Another patient encounter with grief, anger and the difficulty of forgiveness. - *Ordinary People* (1980), Fi1m 81: A family struggles to speak honestly about grief, guilt and staying together. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md) - *The Sweet Hereafter* (1997), Fi1m 88: A community’s grief receives a wider frame, without becoming any easier to bear. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-sweet-hereafter.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/mass