Peterson’s script is frustratingly single-note and occasionally bends toward unearned sentimentality. Still, “The Graduates” feels true to its milieu.

A tender coming-of-age drama, the kind of movie that’s heavy on emotions but quietly so.

While Hannah Peterson, with her emphasis on quiet moments and mementos mori, effectively suffuses The Graduates with a mournful absence of life, she also reminds us of the warmth that can be so typical of high school.

The Graduates offers a healing balm to an audience yearning for understanding. It reminds us that while the wounds may never fully heal, the act of sharing our stories can bring solace, connection, and hope in the most unexpected ways.