“Mabel”

“Mabel” is a small, gentle coming-of-age film that isn’t flashy or groundbreaking, but it feels so specific and sincere in what it’s trying to say.

The movie follows Callie (Lexi Perkel), a biracial preteen who would very much prefer the company of plants over people. She’s prickly, socially awkward, and not particularly interested in making friends, which makes her immediately refreshing as a protagonist introvert. After her family moves, Callie becomes even more isolated, clinging to her one constant: a potted plant named Mabel. Yes, it sounds a little quirky (and it is), but the film treats that connection with surprising tenderness rather than irony.

Things start to shift when she crosses paths with Mrs. G (Judy Greer), a substitute teacher who introduces her to the wider world of botany. That spark leads Callie to sneak her way into a high school science class and eventually start her own experiment growing chrysanthemums in darkness. Along the way, she reluctantly pulls in her bubbly neighbor Agnes (Lena Josephine Marano), and that dynamic becomes the emotional backbone of the story.

Perkel really carries the film here. She nails that awkward, slightly defensive energy of a kid who doesn’t quite fit anywhere but is also quietly brilliant in her own lane. There’s something very natural about her performance. It never feels overly polished, which actually works in the film’s favor. Greer brings her usual warmth to her role, but this is very much Callie’s story.

Director Nicholas Ma handles the film’s themes with a delicate touch. The story is not just about growing up in the traditional sense, but it’s also about finding connection in unexpected places like science, nature, or the one person who manages to break through your defenses. The whole “plant intelligence” angle could’ve felt gimmicky, but instead it becomes a sweet metaphor for how Callie learns to understand both herself and others.

“Mabel” is a soft, sensitive kind of movie that may have low stakes on the surface, but is emotionally honest underneath. It’s not big and dramatic, but this slightly offbeat story about a kid figuring herself out in her own weird, wonderful way proves to be quite irresistible.

By: Louisa Moore