Review: ‘Mouse’ is a warm-hearted indie filled with grief and life

A thoughtful, human portrayal of grief, Mouse follows Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Ghostlight), a wallflower trying to find her way as she enters senior year without her outgoing, theater-kid best friend, Callie (Chloe Coleman). Besides their different personalities, Callie is from a rich family that’s infinitely more attractive than living with her well-intentioned but socially clueless mother (Kupferer’s actual mother, Tara Mallen), who packs their tiny house with foster animals and random crap. 

Minnie and Callie’s mother, Helen (Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda), form a needed, but perhaps unhealthy bond trying to fill the gap in their lives and trying to be something they can never be to each other: mother and daughter, friend and best friend. This is a major showcase for Sophie Okonedo, who portrays Helen as wearing her grief on every inch of her, as well as Kupferer, who is a star in the making. 

Mouse is filled with tenderness and care for its well-rounded characters, who all feel like real people. A level of sadness permeates most of the film, alongside hope and a lot of life, creating a unique combination not often seen in today’s indies. This is my first experience with Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson’s films, but I’m excited to explore their cinematic world further once I’ve emotionally recovered.