Film Review: Paper Spiders
Stefania LaVie Owen in Paper Spiders © 2021 PAPER SPIDERS
Written by: Belle McIntyre
PAPER SPIDERS (2021) DIR. INON SHAMPANIER
The visceral honesty of this story could only be told by someone who had experience with a loved one’s descent into madness. The wife of the director, Natalie Shampanier, who co-wrote the script has based it on her own mother’s struggle with delusional disorder. Dawn ((Lili Taylor) is a recently-widowed mother of Melanie (Stefania LaVie Owen), her 17-year old daughter, a smart high school senior, who is preparing to go off to college. Dawn makes it known that she would prefer that Melanie chose a school closer to home. But Melanie has her heart set on USC in California. The fact of Dawn’s being left alone could arguably be the trigger that sets in motion the behavior which drives the story line of the film.
Lili Taylor and Stefania LaVie Owen in Paper Spiders © 2021 PAPER SPIDERS
The two have a close and affectionate relationship, although Melanie chooses not to be influenced by her mother’s personal feelings. Instead, Melanie sets her mother up on a dating site as a way to distract her. At the same time, Melanie is starting a relationship with a problematic high school high roller, Daniel (Ian Nelson). He has had substance abuse issues and been in rehab and seems to live without any visible parental supervision in a grand and beautiful house. Melanie is kind of a nerdy scholarly type compared to Daniel, who cleans up his act somewhat in her presence. It becomes clear that Daniel is always near the edge of going back to his bad boy ways. He provides Melanie a crash course in sex and drugs and an escape from the increasingly bizarre behavior of her mother
Lili Taylor and David Rasche in Paper Spiders © 2021 PAPER SPIDERS
The banality of Dawn’s idiosyncrasies which gradually escalate into full scale paranoia about her neighbor spying on her and trying to harm her is so convincingly and painfully portrayed by Taylor it will break your heart. Melanie has no tools to handle a situation which would reverse the roles between mother and daughter. When Melanie tries to reason with her she is met by anger and accusations of betrayal. The only escape for Melanie is USC where she goes after a final scene with Dawn, who goes the route of so many mentally disturbed people, living on the street. When intervention finally comes and Dawn gets professional help, the rift between mother and daughter is healed and we are left with the possibility of Dawn leading a reasonably stable life and having a relationship with Melanie. The two leads carry the film with so much naturalism that you never question its authenticity. It is a very moving and well-told story.
Paper Spiders Movie Poster © 2021 PAPER SPIDERS
Available on Amazon
