Mouse

Socially awkward, living in the garage of his Japanese mother, and not quite fitting in with the rest of Salt Lake City, Denny commits minor thefts — swiping bikes, car break-ins but not robberies — to pass the time and give himself a quiet kick. He’s also lonely, so an ad for a pen-pal service catches his eye. Unfortunately, on the other end of the letters is a con artist couple. As they exchange correspondences, both sides pretend to be people they’re not, and very quickly, Denny’s loneliness and desperation collide into a dark climax where petty crime can quickly bleed into hard-time territory.

Director Kenny Riches also stars as Denny with the awkward affect of a loser we somehow recognize and with a disregard for rich people that keeps us rooting for him. With its thoughtful style and window into Denny’s life, MOUSE delivers the pleasures of an American indie crime film, with quirky outsiders, charming baddies, backfiring plots, karmic intervention, and quip dialogue.

– Brian Hu