Paper Spiders

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1:50

Paper Spiders

PG,

2021,

1h 50m,

Drama/

Comedy

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100%

42 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

100+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Dawn (Lili Taylor) recently lost her husband and experiences growing anxiety as her daughter Melanie (Stefania Owen) plans to move away for college. An argument with a hostile new neighbor aggravates Dawn's mental condition, and she begins to show signs of paranoid delusions. Melanie attempts a series of interventions, but challenging Dawn's reality of persecution threatens to destroy their loving relationship. Melanie is forced to make the toughest of choices as she struggles to support her mother on the path toward recovery and healing. A bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness.

Critics Consensus

A coming-of-age drama that thoughtfully handles hard-hitting themes, Paper Spiders is anchored by heartbreaking performances from its leads.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

May 27, 2021

3.5/4

The screenplay from Natalie Shampanier is astute and purposeful. "Paper Spiders" doesn't put a happy face on any of this, but it does instill hope and understanding.

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Guy Lodge

Variety

May 25, 2021

If the film's flirtations with full-tilt melodrama occasionally strain credibility, a pair of intuitive, thoughtfully inhabited performances pull proceedings back from the edge every time.

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Katie Walsh

Los Angeles Times

May 7, 2021

Personal experience brings a rare honesty and authenticity to this film about mental illness.

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Ezequiel Boetti

Otroscines.com

May 12, 2022

3/5

A film that avoids at all cost to fall into cheesiness. [Full review in Spanish]

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Jackie K. Cooper

jackiekcooper.com

Dec 20, 2021

6/10

Outstanding acting and a script that takes a sober look at mental illness.

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Nov 1, 2021

Drawing upon personal experiences, Paper Spiders benefits from Lili Taylor and Stefania LaVie Owen's performances.

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Inon Shampanier

Director

Lili Taylor

Dawn

Stefania Owen

Melanie

Peyton List

Lacy

Ian Nelson

Daniel

Max Casella

Gary

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Synopsis

Dawn (Lili Taylor) recently lost her husband and experiences growing anxiety as her daughter Melanie (Stefania Owen) plans to move away for college. An argument with a hostile new neighbor aggravates Dawn's mental condition, and she begins to show signs of paranoid delusions. Melanie attempts a series of interventions, but challenging Dawn's reality of persecution threatens to destroy their loving relationship. Melanie is forced to make the toughest of choices as she struggles to support her mother on the path toward recovery and healing. A bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness.

Director: Inon Shampanier
Producer: Ash Christian, Anne Clements
Screenwriter: Natalie Shampanier
Distributor: Entertainment Squad
Production Co: Cranium Entertainment, Idiot Savant Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 7, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 7, 2021
Runtime: 1h 50m

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