‘Hot Milk’ Movie Review: Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, and Vicky Krieps Can’t Save This Meandering, Thin Drama
Photo from IFC Films
From Jeff Nelson
Co-dependency can be a dangerous thing. Based on Deborah Levy’s 2016 novel, Hot Milk marks Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s directorial debut, following her writing credits for She Said and Ida. This underwhelming portrait paints an abstract journey, dragging long-ignored past traumas to the surface. Yet its emotions never swell as powerfully as they should.
Set in Spain, anthropology student Sofia (Emma Mackey) takes her mother, Rose (Fiona Shaw), on a trip in a last-ditch effort to cure her of a mysterious illness, one that may be more psychological than physical. Left with no other choice, Rose mortgaged her home to afford treatment from a clinic run by Dr. Gomez (Vincent Perez), who focuses on methods outside the realm of conventional medicine.
The movie opens with a close-up on Sofia’s inscrutable face, ominously lit by a crackling fire off-screen. This shot perfectly encapsulates the character study Lenkiewicz focuses on. Sofia is hard to read, and we’re left frustratingly outside her psyche. She’s an observer in her own narrative, brimming with suppressed resentment and turmoil. Her life is on hold while she cares for Rose, who dismisses her as a “permanent student.” Sofia’s initially muted exterior slowly cracks, especially when her mother starts making drastic decisions with life-altering consequences.
Rose’s appointments with Dr. Gomez probe at trauma looming beneath the surface. He asks his abrasive patient about the impact her illness has on Sofia, to which she replies, “None at all.” She refuses to look at the broken mirror that is her life, allowing her daughter to cut herself on the shattered pieces. Despite Rose’s judgmental attitude and narcissistic tendencies, Sofia ultimately cares about her well-being.
A romance unfolds between Sofia and German tourist Ingrid (Vicky Krieps), who arrives on horseback like a fantastical fever dream. Unfortunately, the relationship intended to draw the introverted protagonist from her shell is unconvincing. Ingrid fits the manic pixie dream girl archetype on the surface, but lacks depth. Her repressed traumas push Sofia forward in her journey, although it’s another wasted opportunity, void of emotional impact.
The “permanent student” pursues independence in the only ways she can, with the romance being just one facet of that. She visits her estranged father, Christos (Vangelis Mourikis), in Athens, where he paints a starkly different portrait of Rose, encouraging his daughter to uncover the truth about her family. Dr. Gomez also digs for these same facts, but ends up empty-handed.
Though Sofia serves as our lens, her journey doesn’t justify the slow buildup. Rose’s dramatic arc is the only compelling one, yet it’s treated as an afterthought until the runtime’s final moments. Those revelations retrospectively clarify Lenkiewicz’s overly stylized musings of trauma, melancholy, and pain.
The dull script undermines a wildly talented cast. Mackey emotes her way through Sofia’s internal struggles, while Krieps is entirely wasted as the paper-thin Ingrid. Shaw approaches Rose with sheer authenticity, although the script denies her the chance to shine fully.
As a whole, Hot Milk simmers but never boils. The ending finally ignites Sofia and Rose’s relationship, but the credits roll just as the film hits its stride. Sluggish pacing undercuts the story’s perspective on living life versus enduring it. Instead, the film itself feels like an endurance test. The cinematography captures Sofia’s alienation, yet it fails to leverage the Spanish setting. Lenkiewicz becomes so fixated on subtext that she neglects crafting a narrative that resonates emotionally.
Rating: 2/5
Hot Milk hits theaters on June 27th, 2025.
