Not a lot of films have tackled mental illness in a realistic way, but ‘Paper Spiders’ comes close. Lili Taylor and Stefania Owen play a mother and daughter who has a close relationship, and Taylor’s character develops mental illness, prompting he daughter to grow up and realize her mother is sick. Taylor is great here as a woman who becomes paranoid and obsessed that their neighbor has it our for her and her family. We see her condition get worse and worse. I thought the film started cutesy but this is not a heartwarming film. We instantly see and realize the severity if her sickness. I kind of liked the little love story the daughter has, but, yes, it’s also just a little bit of distraction from the heavy mental issue that is the crux of the film. While I won’t say this is a ‘feel good’ kind of film, it tells a different and meaningful story, and Taylor is great. It’s worth your while.