Hot Milk

Just putting this here to balance out the reviews.

Honestly, it's a very well made film. If you have had people like this in your life it'll feel very realistic and relatable. It was a slow burn and maybe not super tight but I would recommend it regardless. Lots of very flawed or traumatised humans trying to relate to each other and their everyday life.

I cant imagine how long will it take until we are free of all the marks that growing up left.

It seems inevitable to grow up whole and pure and lately i have been fighting the thought that some of my emotional issues are a result of them marks.

It's true and confirmed that them scars need to be taken care of or you will end up crippled.

Pain and suffering are as well inevitable, however they shall not take more than what they really weigh.

The movie is about all the family issues and how they can extend to generations.

It's wonderful if you are ready to fight these issues or if you already did, It's horrifying if you are still denying them.

After the credits roll, Hot Milk leaves you with the strange taste of over-boiled milk-bitter and lacking something essential.

*** The protagonist's journey is shaped by her interactions with those around her, particularly in her tumultuous relationship with her mother and her complicated love life.

Yet, despite these emotional dynamics, the film feels disjointed, as if the narrative lacks a clear purpose.

The script, unfortunately, falls short. Information is doled out sparingly, making the plot feel underdeveloped. Potentially intriguing parallel stories are introduced but never fully explored. The ending, too, seems forced, attempting to provoke an emotional response but ultimately feeling hollow.

*** On the bright side, the film benefits from a strong performance from Irish actress Fiona Shaw, whose portrayal brings depth to her character. Additionally, the photography shines, with stunning shots of the Mediterranean sun and sea.

This film hit a nerve.

It's not about explosive drama, it's about the quiet, suffocating violence of emotional entanglement: love laced with dependency, boundaries blurred. The daughter is stuck in a role she never chose, blamed for not doing enough, while slowly disappearing in the process.

The constant reaching for water feels symbolic, an effort to swallow discomfort, avoid truth, dilute tension. Conversations dissolve, emotions go undigested.

Visually stunning in its discomfort: blinding brightness clashes with sudden darkness. You're never quite at ease, and that's the point.

And then, unexpectedly, some moments are... funny? Not laugh-out-loud, but absurd in a way that's either painfully relatable or too surreal to take seriously. You're not always sure if the humor is intentional - which somehow makes it even better. Like dissociation in cinematic form.

Maybe too niche or emotionally raw for some. But if you know this kind of silence, the kind that weighs more than words, this film will find you.

I was enticed to see this film because I saw the cast and read the synopsis, and i knew it was based upon the book with the same title. I should note that I've not read said book, but others by the author, and greatly appreciate her style, and her ability to create vivid characters and explore complex relationships/human emotions.

The reviews I glanced at prior to going in were pretty negative, and most seemed unimpressed. This made me a bit worried (I had invited a friend and I so hate feeling like I'm putting someone else through a bad film!), and prepared me, perhaps, to be disappointed by a film I had been positively anticipating.

However, Hot Milk oozes atmosphere, and the performances were excellent. I don't understand how a film with this level of acting and cinematography (even if the story itself isn't to someone's taste) can be given a score below 5/10?!?!? Fiona Shaw is outstanding at embodying a deeply damaged, infuriating, and toxic mother/woman. Whilst Emma Mackey nails her role as the pent up, understandably resentful, manipulated young women, who is stiffled by her mother's unresolved trauma.

This is a film that made me feel a lot. It had themes that resonated, and I felt the intensity that Lenkiewicz's directing and writing conjured up.

I understand that this is not going to appeal to those who like a film that has a story with a clear trajectory set out. This film does require patience and concentration and openness. But it rewards those who emotionally invest and commit (I think, anyway!?). I hope more people give this a chance and ignore the critics. I think it will be elevated in estimation when it's audience find it. I hope so.