‘Babyteeth’ Review: Dir. Shannon Murphy (2020)

Eliza Scanlen leads this touching Australian drama about a  terminally ill teenage girl, who goes against her parents best wishes to pursue a relationship with an older small time drug dealer. 

There are many pitfalls that a drama following a terminally ill teen can fall into. For the most part, they are often overly sweet, mawkish things that often feel a bit too manipulative when it comes to provoking tears in their audiences. But with Babyteeth, Shannon Murphy has made a film that has more of a raw edge to it, that manages to keep it from bumping into the same clichés that so many indie dramas of a similar makeup can’t help but steer into. 

Scanlen plays Milla, whose terminal illness is slowly taking away every normal aspect of her life. When she strikes a chord with 23 year-old Moses (Toby Wallace), she begins to develop feelings and a desire to make the most of the relationship while she can. For her Mum and Dad (Essie Davies and Ben Mendelsohn), it’s not an easy thing to get used to, but for their daughter they’ll try and find a way. 

What is most striking about Babyteeth is its collection of broken characters, all of whom are doing their best to overcome their own demons in order to make Milla’s experience as easy as possible. Of course, that’s easier said than done, with everyone letting their more desperate impulses get the better of them from time to time. Murphy and her screenwriter Rita Kalnejais (based on her own play) embrace the messiness that such a situation would cause to the lives of those around Milla who care for her, and it makes for compelling drama.

It is this embracing of all the chaos and emotional turmoil that makes Babyteeth a more distinct, and ultimately more honest, portrayal of such an experience when compared to similar teenage focused stories. It’s as much about Milla’s parents and Moses as it is Milla’s own struggles, demonstrating how one person’s struggle is never a burden that they carry alone. Only a couple of narrative detours feel a little disingenuous, which is no mean feat for a story that deals with a lot of very large and very complex emotions. No one acts perfectly, and that lack of contrived behaviour makes this a more genuine drama than most

Delivering this effective mix of drama is an exceptionally talented cast. Scanlen continues to demonstrate why she is one of the most exciting young performers working today by making Milla a character full of personality and full of frustration, who has a lot of love to give in what she knows is a limited amount of time. She’s surrounded by performances that really strike deep, from the raw charisma of Toby Wallace as Moses, to the heartbreaking desperation that surrounds Fisher and Mendelsohn as Milla’s parents. It is this trio of performances that bring the film to its emotional crux, and they make the biggest hits land in a manner that feels genuine and painful. 

Babyteeth treats its characters with a great deal of empathy and respect. It never judges them and encourages all the confusing, contradictory emotions to come to the surface. It avoids most of the pitfalls of its kin by allowing the characters the room to make mistakes, to say things they don’t really mean, and by showing the love and care that is always there, even if anger and frustration can often get the better of it. It may leave you a wreck, but it’s a far more cathartic, surprisingly witty and refreshingly candid tale of teenage illness than others of its kind.