'Hot Milk' movie review: A lukewarm essay on mother-daughter relationships

Touted as one of the must-watch films on this year’s film festival circuit, ‘Hot Milk’ fails to impress. It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February this year, competing for the Golden Bear.  

Directed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, ‘Hot Milk’ explores the relationship between an attention-seeking Rose (a brilliant Fiona Shaw) and her daughter Sofia (Emma Mackey), who is frustrated with her mother’s tantrums. Rose hasn’t walked since Sophia was four. Doctors believe her condition is psychosomatic, but Rose stubbornly refuses to accept this and avoids confronting her trauma from the past. So on her road to recovery, she drifts from doctor to doctor.

On yet another healing journey, Sofia is forced to take a break from her anthropology studies to accompany her mother to Spain. In a beautiful beachside house, complete with an annoying neighbour, Sofia tries to make the most of her 'vacation'. She swims among poisonous jellyfish, and has a toxic fling with a seductive Ingrid (Vicky Krieps). Sofia's frustration — with her irritating wheelchair-bound mother and Ingrid’s fluid relationships — is noticeable, although she tries to maintain a calm exterior. 

There is something universal and relatable about mother-daughter stories. There is enough meat to chew on in the film’s plot but the director fails to capitalise on the emotions, especially Sofia’s personal journey. Despite some fine performances, ‘Hot Milk’ is not the best portrayal of modern mother-daughter relationships.

Having said that, might I suggest some of the better mother-daughter relationships explored on screen in the recent past? ‘Little Loves’, a Spanish-French drama that was on last year’s festival circuit, was both relatable and a fun watch. So were the Indian indies, ‘Goldfish’ (2022) and ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ (2024). Also, let’s not forget the surrealistic ‘Petite Maman’ (2021).