Avan Jogia has had a very interesting career. The life of a Nickelodeon kid can send one down many paths, some less fruitful than others. Jogia was that rare child actor who successfully transitioned into “adult” work without a loud announcement of his maturing. His acting career has had him dabble in numerous genres and stories, showing off his natural charisma and talent. In between acting, Jogia has kept busy producing music with his brother and their band Saint Ivory, and writing a book. Now, he has ventured into directing feature films, and his directorial feature debut is the stunning neo-noir and comic book-inspired Door Mouse.
Door Mouse tells the story of Mouse (Hayley Law), a comic book writer/artist who works at a burlesque bar run by Mama (Famke Janssen). A friend and fellow burlesque dancer, Doe Eyes (Nhi Do), doesn’t show up for work one night, which alerts the already uneasy Mouse to something sinister. Things turn for the worst when another friend, the rad Scottish truth-teller Riz (Michela Cannon), is snatched outside the bar. Mouse must knock on the doors of some unsavory characters to uncover the truth — risking her life by asking dangerous questions.
Jogia has crafted a narrative that does not stray from the usual noir formula, save for one key exception. The feminine presence in the story is not the typical femme fatale, doomed to a tragic end or discarded by a chain-smoking, cynical male detective. Rather, at the forefront is a young woman who stands up for other women and hunts down leads with a sidekick, Ugly (Keith Powers), who is neither her protector nor lover. As nihilistic and pessimistic as Mouse is, her actions offer a glimpse into the power of community and sisterhood, even in the most dead-end of places. While the script is kitschy at times, it shows a reverence for film noir, the casual cruelness of the world on full display. Yet sincerity seeps through, most notably through the character of Mouse and Hayley Law’s performance.
Law left an impression with her performance in Netflix’s short-lived Altered Carbon and as one of the Pussycats in The CW’s Riverdale. Here she plays Mouse, a name possibly inspired by her afro poofs that resemble Mickey Mouse ears. Despite the connection to something as wholesome as Mickey, Mouse could not be any different. She is crude and morose, and despite her appearance and age, she acts like a disillusioned middle-aged man worn down by the world. Law nails the cadence of the central detective, and her wardrobe is a fun homage to the distinctive styling. Anyone who appreciates a good noir will enjoy how Law subverts and embraces that archetype. Her deadpan delivery and piercing gaze are pitch-perfect, aiding Jogia with his ambition to create his very own neo-noir that can be favorably compared to the cult-hit Brick. Law has a commanding presence and is the key to this oddball neo-noir working out.
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