Paper Spiders Parent Guide

Most teenagers, at some point, accuse their parents of being crazy. But what happens when adolescent hyperbole is replaced with frightening reality?

Melanie (Stefania LaVie Owen) is a bright senior with a 4.0 average and plans to take pre-med at USC. Her widowed mother, Dawn (Lili Taylor), is loving, devoted, and more than a bit neurotic. When the pair return from a visit to California, Dawn begins hearing noises in the house and becomes convinced that their new neighbor is stalking and threatening her. As her mental illness progresses, she imperils her own safety and her daughter’s future.

Paper Spiders is a powerful story about mental illness and its ripple effect on families. Lili Taylor brilliantly creates a disturbed character who is more than just her illness. We don’t just see Dawn’s delusions, we see a woman who is quirky, bright, funny, warm-hearted, afraid of loneliness, and deeply anxious. Stefania LaVie Owen also gives an authentic portrayal of a daughter pushed to the breaking point in her attempts to protect, help, and save her struggling mother. Melanie’s pain, exhaustion, hurt and love are tangible on screen.

The biggest takeaway from Paper Spiders is not just the suffering caused mental illness, but the lack of community support. My heart breaks for Melanie, who carries on alone, with no network of family friends or anyone else to help. There are adults who are aware of Dawn’s problems – the police, the school guidance counselor, Dawn’s boss – but none seem able to suggest any back-up for Melanie. Lonely, scared, and indomitable, Melanie keeps on with her agonizing task, providing viewers with solid messages about love and persistence while also making room for conversations about boundaries and personal safety.

Given the movie’s upsetting subject, this clearly isn’t a show for youngsters, although mature teens might learn a lot from this perceptive production. The biggest content issue here is drug and alcohol use, with a secondary teen character who is an alcoholic, and frequent scenes of teens imbibing heavily. A teen is implied to be driving drunk in one scene and another eats a marijuana edible resulting in hallucinations. Frankly, none of this behavior is portrayed in a positive light and discussing the consequences of these activities could be a useful exercise with teens. The film also features implied teen sexual activity and about two dozen profanities, including ten sexual expletives.

Movies about mental illness are a subgenre all their own, and Paper Spiders is a fine exemplar of the type. Dawn’s descent into irrationality is terrifying and feels suitably ominous but there’s a warmth in the movie that’s never fully snuffed out, even in its darkest moments. That warmth keeps the movie from turning into a psychological horror show and ensures that it remains a human story about love, relationships, and hope.