It’s always hard to deal with the loss of someone close. One day they are there, playing an integral role in your life. The next, you’re on your own, left with memories and a hole in your life. That’s even more true when it’s a sudden, unexpected passing.

How we respond to grief and loss varies from person-to-person. But it’s never a quick and easy process, even if we want it to be. And grief can rise up and tackle you at the most unexpected moments and lead to the most unexpected connections. That’s the case with the new film Mouse, which is limited release and opening wider this weekend.

The film follows Minnie (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), who is getting ready for her senior year. She is a shy girl with a difficult relationship with her overworked, single mother (Tara Mallen). Her one real connection and source of confidence and joy is her best friend, Callie (Chloe Coleman).

Minnie and Callie have been inseparable for years, despite the fact Callie is everything that Minnie isn’t. She’s a star, popular with everyone, and has no trouble with confidence. She also has a great, loving mother (Sophie Okonedo), who has become like a surrogate mother for Minnie, too. They are happy, young, and bracing for a great senior year.

When a tragedy unfolds, it changes the course of things. Minnie is left on her own and ends up forming a connection with her friend’s mother in an unexpected way. She also begins to open up in new ways and even makes a new connection with Kat (Iman Vellani). Through it all, she process her feelings about Callie, her life, and the possibilities for her future.

A few years back, I saw a film called Ghostlight. I hadn’t heard much about it but what I saw on screen blew me away. It was a deeply emotional and beautifully rendered journey. It came from Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Those are the two who paired to write and direct Mouse.

This is a simple story, but it’s beautifully rendered. It’s an intimate portrait of people in grief, and the way they connect with one-another. It’s also a tender story about parenthood, loss, and the family and friends we make along the way.

Okonedo does a beautiful job in a complex role. She plays off Kupferer well and brings a lot of deep emotions to the film. But I also enjoyed Mallen. Her character is in the background at first, but as we dive deeper into the film, we see how deeply she cares for her daughter. There are some beautiful and tender scenes between them in the film.

But a film like this rises and falls with the lead. Kupferer does a beautiful job as Minnie. She’s a complex person facing some complex emotions. We get to see a wide range of responses as she tries to find a way to move on and move forward with a big piece of her life suddenly ripped away.

This is a personal and deeply emotional journey. I enjoyed Mouse and I was moved by the story of Minnie and her road through grief. I think it has something everyone will be able to identify with. It’s worth seeking out in theaters.

Mouse is now playing.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.