It is 2002, and best friends Minnie and Callie are heading into their last year of high school, with Minnie long living in the shadow of the charismatic Callie. When their friendship is suddenly upended, Minnie forms a complicated relationship with Callie’s poised, attentive mother.
Mouse, from Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, the team behind Saint Frances, opens in limited US cinemas this Friday.
It understands exactly how big a teenage heartbreak feels.
Movie at a Glance
- US release: Limited release from Friday 6 November 2026 (Independent Film Company)
- UK release: No UK release date confirmed at the time of writing
- Directors: Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson
- Starring: Sophie Okonedo, Katherine Mallen Kupferer and Chloe Coleman
- Rating: R (US)
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Genre: Coming-of-age drama
Viewer Match
- Best for: Fans of honest coming-of-age films.
- Maybe skip if: Teen dramas are not for you.
- Mood and pace: Tender, funny and bittersweet.
- Cinema or streaming? Either; it is an intimate film.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free.
Friendship and Identity
The film captures the push and pull of a teenage friendship with real precision, and the 2002 setting is evoked lightly but well.
Katherine Mallen Kupferer is a find as Minnie.
Sophie Okonedo
Okonedo is superb as Callie’s mother, warm and unsettling at the same time, and her scenes with Minnie are the heart of the film. Critics have praised it without reservation.
It is funny as often as it is painful.
Where It Fits
For another coming-of-age story, read our Klara and the Sun Super Review. This week’s other films are in this week’s Weekly Cinema Pack, and tonight’s picks are in What to Watch Tonight.
Spoiler-Free Verdict
Mouse is a tender, funny and beautifully acted coming-of-age story, with Sophie Okonedo on superb form.
- Performances: 9/10
- Direction: 8/10
- Screenplay: 8.5/10
- Score: 7.5/10
- Cinematography: 7.5/10
- Entertainment Value: 8/10
- Overall score: 8.5/10
Star rating: 4/5
Verdict badge: Worth Seeing
One-line verdict: A precise, heartfelt coming-of-age gem.
Watch the Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer from Independent Film Company.
What film best captures your teenage years? Tell us.