Babyteeth

"Delivering a raw, utterly convincing turn (she even apparently shaved her own head for the role) as a young woman trying to make the most of what’s left of her life, Scanlen is a mesmerising centre around which this, sometimes, stunning film revolves."

"A satisfying mix of elements which are both funny and poignant."

"More than anything, though, they love Milly ferociously, and on that count, the bruising, bittersweet Babyteeth meets them more than halfway."

"In the end, the screenplay’s wry sensibility—Kalnejais breaks the story into chapters, many with sardonic titles like “A Little Bit High” or “Fuck This”—and appreciation for Milla’s determination to push back the encroaching void win out over those distractions."

"Emotional compromise finally begets an overwhelming torrent of feeling in “Babyteeth,” a wickedly perverse and, in time, intensely moving variation on familiar coming-of-age themes that marks an arresting feature debut for both director Shannon Murphy and screenwriter Rita Kalnejais."

"“Babyteeth” is the kind of soft-hearted tearjerker that does everything in its power to rescue beauty from pain; the kind that feels like it would lose its balance and tip right off the screen if it stopped being able to walk the line between the two."

"Cancer rom-coms are certainly a thing, but the debut film by Australian director Shannon Murphy doesn’t quite fall into the genre, even though it’s partly about a dying teenage girl who falls in love for the first time."

"Some of the most effective moments in Babyteeth are also among its simplest..."