Grace (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

Grace (Fiadhnait Canning) is a mid-20’s woman living with Down Syndrome. She lives among a series of caretakers who have her best interest in mind, but frequently struggle to allow her to make her own decisions. As she grows increasingly closer to her boyfriend, Tommy (Luca Malocco Melville), those around her continue to pressure her into making certain decisions. Grace wants one thing: autonomy. 

The simple, charming keys of the piano fill the space around Grace, creating a (pun intended) sense of grace that emanates from the screen and scratches an itch you didn’t even know you had. You feel for Gracie every step of the way—you understand her pain, her wants, her needs; and Grace is so brilliantly poignant that you can actually feel what she’s feeling. As perfect as Canning is, what ties the film together so well is the score—its simplicity, its honesty, and its ability to connect with viewers. 

What adds to the honesty of Grace is the use of light. Both light and darkness play key roles in the short film, framing Grace in a way that accentuates her mood—developing tone with ease. With Grace’s life being something of an emotional rollercoaster, the ever-shifting tones mirror her existence; and that use of light makes those shifts easier to follow, understand, and appreciate. 

Grace will crush you; it will rip your heart out and make you question all that you know. As I’ve said, Canning’s performance is paramount to the success of Grace. Her ability to fill the screen is inspiring, as she delivers every line with vigor and elevates every moment of the film. She’s powerful, passionate, and she delivers one of the more charming performances that I’ve ever seen. 

I often judge people for their lack of ability to understand the cause of unlikable characters in television and film. Diegetic misdirection (as I’ve come to understand it’s called) is the inability to place blame on the appropriate party (the writers, showrunners, etc.) for the faults and flaws of an on-screen character. However, Grace forced me to forget that I was watching a film—and I fell into judging Grace in the best ways. I didn’t see a character on screen, but rather a genuine person. Grace is perfectly developed over the course of twenty-five minutes.

Grace is as close to perfect as a film can get. It will make you cry (so prepare yourself). However, it will also make you laugh, make you appreciate the things you have in life, and question reality. In just twenty-five minutes Grace does things to you that some feature-length films aren’t capable of. Have you ever walked away from an experience, a conversation and believed that you were better because of it? Grace will do that to you. The short film is a lifetime condensed into something short, sweet, and perfectly accessible. 

Grace transports viewers to another world—and while it’s virtually identical to what we see in our own world, we almost lose our place in reality. You’re likely to forget that you’re watching a film and fall in love with Grace. As every aspect of the film (score, lighting, etc.) works to strengthen the bond between Grace and her audience, Canning is the most powerful piece of Grace. Gorgeous in more ways than one, Grace will floor you. 

Written & Directed by Anna Rodgers. 

Starring Fiadhnait Canning, Luca Malocco Mulville, Carrie Crowley, Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle, etc. 

9.5/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW