Paper Spiders - Movies on Google Play

Paper Spiders

2021 • 109 minutes
5.0
19 reviews
100%
Tomatometer
Eligible
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About this movie

Dawn recently lost her husband, and experiences growing anxiety as her daughter Melanie plans to move away for college. An altercation with a hostile new neighbor aggravates Dawn's mental condition, and she begins to show signs of paranoid delusions. Determined to help her mom, Melanie attempts a series of interventions, but challenging Dawn's reality of persecution threatens to destroy their loving relationship. Her mental illness spirals out of control - sabotaging Melanie's academics, social life, and blossoming love life. 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.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
19 reviews
Tamara Kern
May 17, 2021
I heard about this movie on Tom Papa’s podcast (because isn’t he the best?) but what I did not expect was to be blown away by this marvelous little movie. I’m not a big reviewer but sometimes you just gotta! Paper Spiders combines emotion, grace, moving performances, and humor! And it does it really well, tackling a subject we rarely get to see on screen. This one is worth your time!
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Emma Levine
May 14, 2021
Every few years a movie comes along that will move you like no other. While the subject matter of mental illness can be tough the story is told with deep empathy and surprising humor. Lili Taylor delivers an exceptionally realistic performance and her daughter in the movie is just perfect. You will be reaching for tissues, this is a tear-jerker but the end is also very satisfying.
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Yaron Greenspan
May 16, 2021
Well planned, thoughtful and great cinematography. Such a touching film, especially if someone near and dear to you is suffering from mental illness. The level of acting here is Oscar-worthy, especially from Lily Taylor and Stefania LaVie. The best acting is when you feel like you are witnessing true life. Perfect blend of comedic interjections at the right times, drama and powerful message. We need to recognize how prevalent mental illness is and de-stigmatize it; I'm sure many people who are watching this know someone who suffers and we can all play a role in helping them get better. I loved the symbolism in the film which represented different messages/themes throughout the film.
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