Milk Teeth

Adapted from the book of the same name by Helene Bukowski, Sophia Bösch’s Milk Teeth blends the tranquil beauty of its picturesque forest setting with a disquieting sense of unease to create a fascinating blend of beauty and danger.

The film sees Mathilde Bundschuh star as Skalde, a woman who lives with her elderly mother Edith (Susanne Wolff) within a small community isolated from the rest of the world. Although it’s never explicitly stated why the villagers have a mistrust for outsiders, scenes of Skalde finding eviscerated animal corpses alongside tales of harmful creatures hiding in the surrounding woods give some indication as to why they live the way they do. This also explains why the villagers show hostility towards Skalde after she takes in a young girl named Meises (Viola Hinz) when she appears outside her house.

Although it would be all too easy to dismiss the villagers’ superstitions as overreactions to childish fairytales, as Skalde believes them to be, Bösch brilliantly plays with audience expectations to keep them second-guessing whether Meises could be a genuine threat. While the community’s strict rules and violent punishments levied at those who break them suggest that the elders could be using their power to force people to stay, their fears become a plausible reality when mysterious occurrences begin in the village.

By keeping viewers in the dark about what’s going on, an ominous atmosphere begins to creep in as the movie progresses, with the violence working as an effective counterpoint to the lush and vibrant woodland backdrop. This menacing sense of foreboding is only reinforced by a sparse soundscape, comprised of distant bird song and barking dogs. Combined with sublime cinematography, Milk Teeth feels like a haunting fairytale.

This feature is also a story of survival in which the three main female characters fight for their place within the group. Wonderful and subdued performances from Bundschuh and Wolff further add to the allure of the near-future world, whilst ensuring the script remains grounded throughout. It’s disappointing, then, that the finale fizzles out after failing to land its emotional blows, ending this gorgeously shot film on an underwhelming low.

While some won’t appreciate the ambiguity of the plot and worldbuilding, the mix of beauty, paranoia and fantasy nevertheless is an intoxicating concoction, even if this film falters at the final hurdle.

Andrew Murray

Milk Teeth does not have a UK release date yet.

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