K–12 is a 2019 American surrealist musical fantasy horror film written and directed by Melanie Martinez and co-directed by Alissa Torvinen.
The film follows Cry Baby (played by Martinez), a brave-hearted girl, and her charming best friend Angelita (Harvey), who make a bewitching pair as they embark on a mission to take down the oppressive schooling system of K–12.
At nap time, Angelita recommends that Cry Baby telephone her mother for advice, but she doesn't respond due to being passed out drunk.
At the end of the show and tell, Cry Baby (as a marionette puppet) gets an open wound on her stomach and is sent to the nurse’s office where Angelita sees her.
They are saved by Lilith, an angelic spirit guide, who tells them they must stay in K–12 because they have more to learn through experience, and that they are immortal beings.
Later, Cry Baby and Angelita hear music coming from the ballroom, they go check it out and open the doors to see a crowd of dancing ghosts.
After burying the principal, Cry Baby and Angelita play tennis and chat with Celeste, a friend with similar abilities.
The tennis ball floats away in a bubble before it lands and is picked up by Ben, a student who has a crush on Cry Baby.
In the bathroom, Cry Baby offers Fleur compassion and tells her she is worthy of love, thus becoming her friend ("Orange Juice").
Ben leaves an anonymous love letter in Cry Baby’s locker and the girls devise a plan to destroy the school, which Leo detects on security footage.
Cry Baby disguises herself as a woman named Lorelai seeking an assistant position, seducing and deceiving Leo and locking him inside a closet.
It has been confirmed on Melanie Martinez’s Trilogy Tour that not only Cry Baby but also all of her friends (Angelita, Ben, Celeste, Magnolia, and Fleur) died upon entering the door, as tombstones can be seen with all of their names on them.
[11] On June 17, 2019, during the MTV Movie Awards, a TV spot was released, containing a snippet of the song "Nurse's Office".
[8] Two days later, on September 5, 2019, it had its US-wide premiere in New York City at the AMC Empire 25, being shown in select theaters at the same time all around the country.
io9 reviewed the film as well, stating that "When you listen to Melanie Martinez's K–12, the album's themes about bullying, insecurity, and the importance of learning to embrace one's imperfections are all readily apparent.
But when you watch the accompanying K–12 film and visually drink in the story Martinez has created, it becomes a much more powerful fairytale about the lives we lead long after leaving school.
"[14] Idolator also reviewed the movie, praising it for expanding the Cry Baby universe and for its messages, and saying "It can't be overstated what an epic achievement this is [for Martinez].