Thirteen follows Tracy, a good student whose life unravels after befriending the wildly popular and troubled Evie. As Tracy descends into a world of drugs, petty crime, and self-harm, her mother Melanie desperately tries to hold their fractured family together. Based on co-writer Nikki Reed's own experiences, the film is a raw and unflinching portrait of adolescent self-destruction.
Catherine Hardwicke co-wrote with her teenage star and filmed it like a Polaroid burning. The film documents the year a thirteen-year-old becomes legible to the people who can hurt her.