---
title: "Babyteeth: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/babyteeth/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/babyteeth"
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 26
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Babyteeth (2020): what the critics said

Critics' score 76 from 26 reviews: 20 positive, 6 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics find Babyteeth moving and refreshingly unsentimental, with praise centred on Eliza Scanlen’s vivid, resilient performance and the cast’s handling of complicated family relationships. The reviews repeatedly credit Shannon Murphy with balancing dark humour, first love and serious illness without reducing Milla to her diagnosis. There is also appreciation for the lively visual style and eclectic soundtrack, though the performances draw the most consistent approval across a broadly positive reception.

Reservations concern overworked quirks, repetition and passages that feel twee or meandering; enthusiasm ranges from wholehearted praise to qualified approval, with no outright negative verdicts. The Hollywood Reporter finds the early comedy strained but considers the conclusion affecting, while The AV Club admires the dark humour yet finds the ending sentimental. That disagreement captures the main divide: most critics feel the film earns its emotional force, but some find its stylistic flourishes or more insistent moments distracting.

## The Guardian — Wendy Ide

Rating 5/5. 16 August 2020. 

Ide calls the film joyous and life-affirming, praising its fearless, lively filmmaking. She especially singles out the eclectic soundtrack and its unexpectedly apt use of a children’s choir.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/16/babyteeth-review-fearless-debut-shannon-murphy-eliza-scanlen-toby-wallace)

## Variety — Guy Lodge

Fi1m's normalised score 86/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2019. Festival review. 

Lodge finds the film an arresting, intensely moving coming-of-age drama that builds to a powerful final act. He especially praises the quartet of performances, singling out Eliza Scanlen and Toby Wallace’s finely attuned work.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/babyteeth-review-1203322916/)

## Sight and Sound

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2019. 

The critic finds the film a compelling, unsentimental portrait of first love amid suffering. They especially praise its nuanced performances and its deft balance of humour and tragedy.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/babyteeth-shannon-murphy-first-love-teen-romance)

## The i Paper — Joseph Walsh

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2020. 

Walsh finds the film tonally rich and moving, praising its refusal of sentimental clichés. He especially singles out the dinner scene for its balance of squeamish humour and emotional tension.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/babyteeth-review-film-shannon-murphy-579090)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating B+. 4 September 2019. Festival review. 

Ehrlich praises the film as an honest, moving drama that balances hope and despair without becoming mawkish. He singles out Eliza Scanlen’s feral, resilient performance and the cast’s ability to make the characters’ vulnerability feel raw.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/babyteeth-review-venice-1202170785/)

## Empire — Christina Newland

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 August 2020. 

Newland finds the film deeply moving and refreshing, though it sometimes veers into twee or overemphasised moments. She especially praises the powerful performances and the nuanced family relationships.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/babyteeth/)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 4/5. 19 June 2020. 

The review presents the drama as quietly electrifying, balancing discovery with mortality. It singles out the heroine as both vividly real and ethereal.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/babyteeth)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 2020. 

Chang finds the film emotionally forceful and ultimately moving, despite some early tonal uncertainty. He especially praises how Eliza Scanlen makes Milla feel like a complex person rather than a diagnosis.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-06-18/babyteeth-review-eliza-scanlen)

## The AV Club — Katie Rife

Rating B. 18 June 2020. 

Rife finds the film a fresh, darkly comic take on the teen cancer romance, though its sentimental ending leaves a maudlin aftertaste. She praises Murphy’s striking use of color and her ability to blend naturalistic performances with heightened style.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/babyteeth-puts-a-bitingly-satirical-spin-on-the-cancer-1844060003)

## Slant Magazine — Chris Barsanti

Rating 3/4. 14 June 2020. 

Barsanti finds the film an affecting, wry blend of tragedy and comedy, though its secondary-character scenes feel beside the point. He praises its focus on Milla’s determination to live fully and the screenplay’s sardonic sensibility.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-babyteeth-neatly-threads-the-needle-between-tragedy-and-comedy/)

## Film Comment — Jonathan Romney

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

Romney presents the film as fresh and bright. He singles out its lively transformation of a story about a stricken teenager and her wild paramour.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/film-of-the-week-babyteeth/)

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

Jenkins finds Babyteeth a notable, confident debut, though its final reel is confusing and abrupt. He singles out Eliza Scanlen’s performance and the film’s refusal to sensationalise illness or addiction.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/babyteeth-venice-film-festival-review-shannon-murphy)

## Vulture — Alison Willmore

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 June 2020. 

Willmore calls the film an impressive, unsentimental debut, though she finds its pastel-pink darkness somewhat easy and familiar. She particularly praises Eliza Scanlen’s hungry, non-sentimental performance as Milla.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/babyteeth-movie-review-not-your-standard-cancer-romance.html)

## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 2020. 

The page is identified as a New York Times review of *Babyteeth*, but its text is inaccessible. Without the review, its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be reliably summarized.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/movies/babyteeth-review.html)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The page could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/venice-2019-the-king-about-endlessness-babyteeth)

## Screen Daily — Lee Marshall

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2019. Festival review. 

The available page does not expose the critic’s verdict. It identifies the premise as a cancer-stricken teen’s relationship with an older drug dealer.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/babyteeth-venice-review/5142516.article)

## Radio Times — Josh Winning

Rating 3/5. 

The review finds the Australian melodrama compelling for its performances but potentially too meandering. It singles out the cast’s performances as its chief strength.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-18abvm/babyteeth)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2019. Festival review. 

Rooney finds the film’s early, overworked quirks and strained comedy frustrating, but says it reaches a satisfying and genuinely affecting conclusion. He especially praises the quiet Christmas-table coda, where the characters’ connection is allowed to emerge naturally.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/babyteeth-film-review-venice-2019-1236624/)

## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn

Rating 5/5. 11 October 2019. Festival review. 

The review calls the film a lively, bittersweet comedy-drama and one of the sparkiest debuts in recent memory. It praises the vivid visual style and the vitality of the performances, especially Eliza Scanlen’s.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/lff-2019-babyteeth)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 8.7. 20 June 2020. 

Crump calls the film a painful, beautiful, and especially true gem. He praises Eliza Scanlen’s vivid performance and the range Shannon Murphy draws from her.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/shannon-murphy/babyteeth-eliza-scanlen-review)

## Film Stories — Freda Cooper

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2020. 

The critic finds the film a profoundly moving, energetic tragicomedy whose shortcomings are outweighed by its compassion. She especially praises Eliza Scanlen’s performance and Shannon Murphy’s avoidance of mawkishness.

[Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/babyteeth-review-an-unconventional-excellent-young-adult-drama/)

## Polygon — Karen Han

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 2020. 

Han calls Babyteeth a fresh, powerful take on young love and illness. She especially praises Eliza Scanlen’s vivid performance and the film’s intimate, understated storytelling.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/18/21295932/babyteeth-review-eliza-scanlen-ben-mendelsohn-essie-davis/)

## The Playlist — Christina Newland

Rating B+. 4 September 2019. Festival review. 

Newland calls the film an imperfect but devastating story, praising its emotional intelligence and restraint. She criticizes the repetitive dancing scenes and occasional excess of heartfelt moments.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/babyteeth-venice-review-20190904/)

## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2020. 

Wilkinson finds the drama refreshingly matter-of-fact and optimistic despite its serious subject matter. She praises the cinematography for using natural light, shade, and neon to reflect Milla’s perspective.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/babyteeth-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film unpredictable and mostly gratifying despite occasional repetition and a contrived late turn. They praise the cast’s ability to convey the characters’ mixture of love and anguish.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/babyteeth-review-2727101)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 62/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2019. 

The review finds the film uneven, but ultimately deeply moving. It praises the natural, tearful beachfront conclusion while faulting the overworked visual style for blunting the story’s tougher questions.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/babyteeth-film-review-ben-mendelsohn-essie-davis/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/babyteeth.md