Hannah Peterson’s The Graduates is a powerful and unique look at the trauma that exists in a community following a school shooting.
Writer & Director: Hannah Peterson
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 87′
World Premiere: Tribeca Film Festival
U.S. Release: November 1, 2024
U.K. Release: TBA
Where to Watch: in US theaters
While films about school shootings aren’t a new thing, few approach the subject removed from the actual violence. The Graduates, from writer and director Hannah Peterson, is a powerful reflection of the trauma that occurs in a community following the death of a child to gun violence in a school. The film opens with a woman walking down an empty hall until she arrives at a memorial for the victims of a school shooting. We feel the weight of her grief through the simple act of her bowed head and her silence in that moment, setting the tone for the entire movie.
It is one year since the shooting, and The Graduates focuses on the friends of Tyler (Daniel Kim, Grown-ish). He should have been finishing his senior year, but instead, his friends are trying to figure out how to keep going in his absence. Genevieve (Mina Sundwall, Lost In Space) is the girlfriend who was left behind, and she is struggling to find her footing in the wake of Tyler’s death. Despite her usual smiling demeanor, her struggles show up in unfinished assignments, a poor SAT score, and an ambivalence about college and the future.
Tyler’s best friend, Ben (Alex R. Hibbert, Moonlight), transferred after the shooting, but even leaving wasn’t enough to help. We see him working as a dishwasher and studying to get his GED in lieu of the more traditional graduation. When he is alone, he sometimes calls Tyler’s voicemail and leaves him messages.
So much of the emotional heft of this film falls on the shoulders of these two young actors, and they both deliver incredible performances. Hibbert’s character feels a sense of guilt because he was absent on the day of the shooting, and while that seems as though that would be positive, he can’t help but wonder if his absence is why his best friend died. Hibbert exists as a surrogate for the audience, as he was not there for the event but still bears witness to and experiences the trauma.
Sundwall delivers a career-defining performance as Genevieve. The subtlety she displays as she goes about her life after this catastrophic loss would be impressive for a seasoned actor, but at just 23, Sundwall offers something far beyond her years. We watch her hold everything together through much of the movie, only allowing herself any sense of release when she is alone and unable to receive comfort.
The kids aren’t the only impressive cast members. John Cho (Searching), who is also one of the executive producers along with Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), gives a heartfelt performance as Tyler’s dad, who is also the basketball coach and a teacher at the school. He does a beautiful job balancing the heartbreak of losing a child while trying to remain a solid figure for his students and for Genevieve.
The Graduates captures so poignantly not only the loss of a friend, partner, and child, but also how these people are forced to relive that trauma daily. They must go back to the scene of the violence every day. They are forced to experience active shooter drills. They have to go through metal detectors and have their bags searched. Every part of their life changes, but the source of their anguish is constant.
Visually, this is a beautiful film. The color palette is muted and reflects perfectly the way that the characters experience the world. Beauty is still a part of their experience, but it is no longer as vibrant as it might have once been.
Through both the visuals and the script, Peterson does an excellent job showcasing how damaging it can be to simply say that kids are resilient when it comes to experiencing the violence and pain of a school shooting. Yes, they do have the capacity to keep going, but there is damage, and continuing to ignore that will have life-long consequences for them. The Graduates is a poignant and hopeful look at that future.
The Graduates will be released in US theaters on November 1, 2024.
