Paper Spiders
Directed byInon Shampanier
Written byNatalie Shampanier
Inon Shampanier
Produced byAsh Christian
Anne Clements
StarringLili Taylor
Stefania LaVie Owen
Peyton List
Ian Nelson
CinematographyZach Kuperstein
Edited byJoe Murphy
Music byAriel Blumenthal
Production
companies
Cranium Entertainment
Idiot Savant Pictures
Distributed byEntertainment Squad
Release dates
  • September 24, 2020 (2020-09-24) (Boston Film Festival)
  • May 7, 2021 (2021-05-07)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Paper Spiders is a 2020 American drama film directed by Inon Shampanier, written by Natalie and Inon Shampanier, and starring Lili Taylor and Stefania LaVie Owen.[1][2][3] It tells the story of a high school girl struggling to help her mother, whose paranoid delusions spiral out of control. It is described as "a bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness."[4]

Cast

Plot

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. Determined to help her mom, Melanie attempts a series of interventions, hoping that her guidance counselor (Michael Cyril Creighton), a private investigator (Max Casella) or even a new date (Tom Papa) may help, but to no avail. Melanie navigates her friendship with Lacy (Peyton List) and romance with the troubled Daniel (Ian Nelson) while trying to keep her mother afloat, 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.[5]

Production

The film was shot in Syracuse, New York in May 2019.[6]

Premiere

The film premiered at the Boston Film Festival on September 24, 2020, where it won the top prizes for Best Film, Best Actress (Lili Taylor), Best Screenplay and Best Ensemble Cast.[7]

Release

The film was released on May 7, 2021 in select theaters and on VOD platforms.[8] The release was slated for Mother's Day Weekend and Mental Health Awareness Month.[9]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed 44 critics and, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed 44 as positive and 0 as negative for a 100% rating. The critics consensus reads "A coming-of-age drama that thoughtfully handles hard-hitting themes, Paper Spiders is anchored by heartbreaking performances from its leads."[10] The film was included on Rotten Tomatoes Top 10 Best Films of 2021.[11] Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Taylor plays Dawn’s slide into this mental health crisis beautifully, and with conviction, and Stefania Owen is stunning [...] Along with the emotionally stripped performances of Taylor and Owen, that personal experience brings a rare honesty and authenticity to this film about mental illness."[12] Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter called it "A message film spiked with welcome humor, and its excellent cast is led by the reliably compelling Lili Taylor".[13] Lili Taylor received a Gotham Award nomination for her Outstanding Lead Performance in the film.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Linden, Sheri (2 September 2020). "'Paper Spiders': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  2. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (20 February 2020). "Cercamon Boards 'Paper Spiders' Sales; Drama Stars Lili Taylor, Stefania LaVie Owen & Peyton List – EFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (24 April 2019). "Lili Taylor & Stefania LaVie Owen To Star In Mental Illness Drama 'Paper Spiders'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Shampanier, Inon (2020-09-24), Paper Spiders (Drama), Peyton List, Lili Taylor, Max Casella, David Rasche, Buffalo 8 Productions, Cranium Entertainment, Idiot Savant Pictures, retrieved 2020-11-29
  5. ↑ Shampanier, Inon, Paper Spiders, retrieved 2021-05-07
  6. ↑ Hebert, Geoff (10 October 2020). "'Paper Spiders' movie filmed in Syracuse now showing at virtual film festival". Syracuse.com. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Boston Film Festival: Schedule". www.bostonfilmfestival.org. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Paper Spiders official site". paperspiders.com. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  9. ↑ "Entertainment Squad acquires Paper Spiders". deadline.com. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-08.
  10. ↑ "Paper Spiders (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  11. ↑ "The Best Movies of 2021". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  12. ↑ Walsh, Katie (May 7, 2021). "Review: Lili Taylor struggles with mental illness in 'Paper Spiders'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  13. ↑ Linden, Sheri (September 2, 2020). "'Paper Spiders': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  14. ↑ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations". InideWire. Retrieved Dec 18, 2021.
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