Paper Spiders
WRITTEN BY : Inon Shampainer & Natalie Shampainer
DIRECTED BY : Inon Shampainer
About the Film
When Melanie’s mother Dawn begins to fear her neighbour, she is forced to make tough choices to keep them both safe, all while navigating her life, love and her own mistakes.
Starring New Zealander Stefania LaVie Owen (Sweet Tooth); Lili Taylor (The Conjuring) and Peyton List (Cobra Kai), the film premiered at the Boston Film Festival, where it won awards for Best Film, Best Actress (Taylor), Best Screenplay and Best Ensemble Cast.
Cast:
STEFANIA LAVIE OWEN - Melanie
LILI TAYLOR - Dawn
PEYTON LIST - Lacy
IAN NELSON - Daniel
Where to View:
Film Details
Completed : 2020
Theatrical Release : USA - September 2020, Canada - March 2021, NZ - April 2023
Budget : $3M USD
Running Time : 109m
Country of Origin : USA
Screener Link : Click here (password required)
Classification : PG, Mild themes, violence and coarse language
New Zealand Theatrical Classification : M - Drug use and offensive language.
Genre: Drama
Festivals/Awards - Gotham Awards (Nominated for Outstanding Lead Performance), Boston Film Festival (Won - Best Screenplay, Won - Best Ensemble Cast, Won - Best Film, Won - Best Actress).
Director’s Statement
'Paper Spiders' is a bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness. The film is a journey from comedy to tragedy — much like the life of its main characters, and the personal lives of my co-writer and wife Natalie, her mother, and myself, over the past decade.
In telling a story inspired by our experiences, we wish to shed light on the unexplored subject of delusional disorder, and the pain mental illness inflicts on individuals and family members. The tonal shift from comedy to tragedy reflects the manner in which quirky neurosis can develop into full-fledged psychosis, and a loving relationship can deteriorate into catastrophe and heartbreak.
We hope that the film will be able to contribute to personal and public conversations about supporting individuals with mental illness and overcoming the shame that is attached to discussing the topic.
The film features outstanding performances from Lili Taylor and Stefania Owen as well as our terrific supporting cast, including Peyton List, Ian Nelson, David Rasche, Max Casella, Michael Cyril Creighton and Tom Papa. It was a true labor of love for the cast and crew, the supportive community of Syracuse NY where the film was shot, and for our wonderful producers Anne Clements, and Ash Christian - who sadly just passed away at the age of 35. He was a real champion of indie cinema, and will be missed by everyone who collaborated with him on the making of this film.
Movie Poster
Reviews
"Taylor plays Dawn’s slide into this mental health crisis beautifully, and Owen is stunning... brings a rare honesty and authenticity to this film about mental illness."
LA Times | Read full review
"Excellent performances by Lili Taylor and Stefania LaVie Owen ground this compassionate drama"
Variety | Read full review
“Touching, impactful, meaningful and sincere... Taylor is terrific”
Times Herald | Read full review
“A message film spiked with welcome humor, its excellent cast is led by the reliably compelling Lili Taylor”
The Hollywood Reporter | Read full review
“In Inon Shampanier’s masterful “Paper Spiders”, the anguish of mental illness is in the details... The storytelling, acting and cinematography is sheer perfection.”
Film Critic.co | Read full review
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