Babyteeth – Streaming on Netflix

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

31 December 2020 — 31 March 2021 Tickets from £9.4 — Book now

Babyteeth, the debut feature from Australian director Shannon Murphy, balances heartbreak and humour, with a little grit, as it depicts one teenager’s struggle with cancer. Eliza Scanlen is terrific as Milla, a terminally ill 16-year-old living with her parents Henry (Ben Mendelsohn) and Anna (Essie Davis) in the Sydney suburbs. Her parents have their own troubles with substance abuse, and they’ve taken to sex in the office Henry maintains as a psychiatrist in order to rekindle something of their relationship.

Enter: Toby Wallace’s Moses. Moses is a roguish small-time drug dealer in his early twenties with a rat tail haircut and homemade tattoos. He’s also flirting with homelessness. He meets Milla on a train platform where she offers him $50 dollars in exchange for lopping off her hair. The pair hit it off, much to the chagrin of Milla’s parents who determine — not unreasonably — that Moses might not be the best influence on their daughter.

It’s a setup that sounds like the worst kind of calculated tearjerker. There are tears, but Murphy, working from a script by Rita Kalnejais (who adapts her own stage play), manages the tone well. Comic odd couple scenarios and messy class conflicts are placed alongside more tender moments. It helps that the performances are stellar across the board, but Babyteeth earns the sentimentality it allows itself by being more abrasive, and even problematic, than most films would dare.

31 December 2020 — 31 March 2021 Tickets from £9.4 Book now

Where to go near Babyteeth – Streaming on Netflix

Manchester
Restaurant
New Wave Ramen

New Wave Ramen is a stylish, friendly Japanese ramen bar and restaurant on Tib Lane in the heart of Manchester.

caprismcr - restaurant
City Centre
Restaurant
Capri’s Cucina Italiana

The King Street area isn’t short of popular Italian restaurants, but none strike quite the same note as Capri’s, where you’ll be greeted like family and served some of the most authentic Neapolitan food in Manchester.

The Feel Good Club exterior
Manchester
Event venue
Feel Good Club

Our flagship Feel Good Club in Manchester, open 7 days a week, providing a beautiful friendly environment for coffee, brunch, lunch, cocktails and beers with an amazing selection of non alcoholic beverages too.

Ancoats
Bar or Pub
Finders Keepers

Welcoming waterside bar in New Islington Marina, serving a wide array of carefully-curated cocktails.

City Centre
Restaurant
Climat

Highly-regarded wine-led, French-leaning wine bar and rooftop restaurant in the city centre.

Image licensed with iStock.
Stockport
Library
Stockport Central Library

Stockport Central Library is a Carnegie library, built 1913–15 in the Edwardian Baroque style. It continues to serve as Stockport’s largest library.

The Edge exterior
Wigan
Event venue
The Edge, Wigan

Opened in September 2017, The Edge Arena is Wigan’s performance, conference and event venue.

What's on: Cinema

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in Manchester and the North

Affecting contemporary performances and fresh, relevant takes on enduring classics, we pick out shows that help us scrutinise the world we live in.

Teenage Dads
Music in Manchester and the North

Fresh concert seasons, forward-thinking festivals and a revolving door of amazing gigs. Things are looking bright as spring comes into view.