Babyteeth Review

Babyteeth is the story of a terminally ill teenager Milla, who falls in love with a polyabusive drug user and local dealer. With protective parents who have a relationship riddled with problems that remain under the surface, the film is a gritty comedy drama that slots right into the Australian indie film landscape. 

I wrestled with whether to keep this review blank; the impact of the film seems to transcend words and exist in its own space. But that wouldn’t give it the justice it deserves. 

Babyteeth is unique in that it walks the line between joy and grief at all times. There’s rarely a conversation that isn’t packed with layers deeper than the words, or a scene which doesn’t simultaneously lift you up and slowly pull at your heart. But this isn’t done in a pretentious or overt way; instead the camera moves with a kind of stagnant grace that translates to a genuine look into the characters lives. It achieves the often desired aim of being its own character perfectly; with shots that are out of focus, shaky, or sometimes even entirely avoid the subjects face, the result is the closest to a realistic performance that can be conveyed. Which makes sense when you realise that Babyteeth is a play originally written by Rita Kalnejais. Director Shannon Murphy takes these fully fleshed out characters, and offers new layers to their lives with her stylistic visual language. Tackling loaded issues like drug abuse, mortality and love, Murphy never fetishises, romanticises or demonises. Her portrayal of not only Milla’s struggles with obstacles and experiences, but all surrounding characters, is remarkable. 

The soundtrack is another (main) character, transitioning from cutting off abruptly and transporting the characters, to offering a painfully visceral emotional experience for the audience. While an accurate critique of the award winning film is that there’s ‘wasted time’ on subplots which receive no conclusions, this addition was an element that felt particularly human. Most issues go unresolved, or add up to ultimately mean very little in the course of existence, and the complicated layering of relationships and experiences in Babyteeth seems to hit this rarely conveyed idea on the head. The ever shifting colour palette only acts to support these emotional changes, while also creating some seriously alluring visuals.

And of course, the acting is completely transcendent. Eliza Scanlen (Little Women, The Devil All the Time) cements her position as a powerful up and comer, and Toby Wallace (The Society) delivers such a convincing performance that it’s truly difficult to believe he is acting. Ben Mendelsohn and Essie Davis also hold up the portrayal of Milla’s complicated parents with an ease and finesse that is oftentimes difficult to find. 

The Australian film scene is loaded with some truly incredible works of art, and Babyteeth slots in perfectly.