K-12 (2019)

A brave-hearted girl and her charming best friend make a bewitching pair as they embark on a mission to take down the oppressive schooling system of K-12.

Directors:

Melanie Martinez, Alissa Torvinen (co-director)

Writer:

Melanie Martinez

Stars:

Melanie Martinez, Emma Harvey, Megan Gage

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melanie Martinez	...	Crybaby
Emma Harvey	...	Angelita
Megan Gage	...	Celeste
Maggie Budzyna	...	Kelly
Adrian Jurics	...	Blue Boy 1
Gergely Kiss	...	Blue Boy 2
Natalia Toth	...	Lucy
Tamas Gog	...	Glue Boy 1
Robert Szabolcs	...	Bus Driver
Bence Balogh	...	Jason
Vilmos Heim	...	Brandon
Alissa Torvinen	...	Ghost Girl
Anne Wittman	...	Ms. Daphne
Joel Francis-Williams	...	Henry
Toby Eddington	...	The Principal

Storyline

In this eerily enchanting musical film by Melanie Martinez, Cry Baby, a strong and sensitive girl, is sent off to a disturbing sleepaway school that's hidden underneath a grandiose façade. Luckily, she has a sweet and unapologetic best friend who sticks up for her when she gets bullied by the other students whose brains are under control by the Principal and his wicked staff. With the help of the magical friends they meet along the way, as well as an Angelic Spirit Guide, they are able to gain the strength they need to fight off the school's belligerent patriarchal conditioning.

---

Plot Keywords:

school | magic | canteen | cafeteria | teacher | 

---

Taglines:

When the bell rings, you must be in your assigned seat...

---

Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Musical

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

For much of September 2019, following its very brief and limited theatrical run, the movie was free to view on Melanie Martinez's YouTube channel.

---

Quotes

Crybaby: Why is he forcing medication on everyone?
Henry: To control us, so we can't leave.

---

Connections

References Melanie Martinez: Mad Hatter (2017)

---

Soundtracks

Wheels on the Bus
Written by Melanie Martinez, Michael Keenan and Emily Warren
Performed by Melanie Martinez

User Reviews

Pastel Nightmare

Don't go in expecting you're gonna get a movie with fleshed out characters or a coherent story. The thing you're gonna get is just a bunch of music videos mashed together. The way the story is written is how kids from elementary school play make-believe with their friends. (only the friends have magical powers, everyone wants to get a bit of that spotlight, being a bit grotesque sometimes for the fun,...). It seems as if Martinez had a lot of fun with this project and I don't blame her, if I had the chance I would do the same. My main problem with the movie is that it tackles way too many themes (bullying, transphobia, body image,...) and it ends up being a "we live in a society"-mess wherein only the obvious get stated without saying much in depth about it. I do praise the movie for the costume design and set design, the colors in this movie had me in awe and that's what you kind of expect if you've seen Martinez previous music videos for her Crybaby album for example. I would recommend this movie to people who are a big fan of Melanie Martinez and for the people who watch movies solely for the aesthetic.

Details

Official Sites:

Get Cinema Tickets

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

K-12

Filming Locations:

Esterhazyplatz 1, 7000 Eisenstadt, Austria

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$303,230

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$359,377

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantic Records, Little Ugly

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Color:

Color