Hot Milk

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1:47

Hot Milk

R

Released Jun 27

1h 32m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

38%

Tomatometer

64 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Rose (Fiona Shaw) and her daughter Sofia (Emma Mackey) travel to the Spanish seaside town of Almería to consult with the shamanic Dr. Gómez, a physician who could possibly hold the cure to Rose's mystery illness, which has left her bound to a wheelchair. But in the sultry atmosphere of this sun-bleached town Sofia, who has been trapped by her mother’s illness all her life, finally starts to shed her inhibitions, enticed by the persuasive charms of enigmatic traveler Ingrid (Vicky Krieps). Sofia's increased freedom becomes too much for her controlling mother, and as the hot sun beats down, their relationship simmers with pent-up resentments and bitterness, threatening to tear the fragile threads that hold them together, and leading them to a dramatic conclusion.

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

Built around two daredevil performances from Fiona Shaw and Emma Mackey, it is jagged and dreamlike at once, the story of a mother and daughter locked in codependence.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 14, 2025

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

I was really gripped by it and I loved the performances, particularly Fiona Shaw.

Jul 12, 2025

Full Review

Drew Gregory

Autostraddle

The script is overwritten, stating things bluntly that have already been communicated — and communicated better — in the silences.

Jul 10, 2025

Full Review

Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

The film wants to be a harrowing drama about maternal control and filial responsibility as well as a sexy newfound tale of passion. It has the players in Mackey, Krieps and Shaw but its execution is flat and forgettable.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jul 26, 2025

Full Review

Pia Kirby Roycroft

Film Ireland Magazine

Lenkiewicz delivers an impressive first feature.

Jul 22, 2025

Full Review

Phil Walsh

Geek Vibes Nation

Hot Milk is unlikely to start a whirlwind of discussion based on its plot, but the intricate nature of the story and the arresting performances give it something to say.

Rated: 6.5/10

Jul 14, 2025

Full Review

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Norm V

Bored me to death due to flat storyline and I even don’t know what truly happened at the end.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/29/25

Full Review

Ghederick Eshmont

Lots of terrible misfires & the film overstays its short runtime, but there are select moments of intrigue to chew on

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/27/25

Full Review

Richard R

The chemistry of the acting between Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw crackles along as we witness resentment, love, deceit and power play between them as daughter and mother from Ireland removed to a non-tourist area of Spain. SPOILER ALERT! I was extremely frustrated by the ending of the film. The screen just blacked out at a critical moment and, then the credits rolled. I actually yelled out in the cinema “ how could the director do do that to us!” Having said that , the acting is superb throughout as is the cinematography. My one word conclusion is “ MARMITE.”

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

Full Review

Nema C

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/10/25

Full Review

Ruth L

A subtle, complex and almost literary film, with terrific performances from the three female leads.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/07/25

Full Review

Eddie O

Another degenerate disgusting movie put out by the 1%.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

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Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Director

Emma Mackey

Sofia

Fiona Shaw

Rose

Vincent Perez

Gomez

Vicky Krieps

Ingrid

Patsy Ferran

Nurse Julieta

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Hot Milk: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Rose (Fiona Shaw) and her daughter Sofia (Emma Mackey) travel to the Spanish seaside town of Almería to consult with the shamanic Dr. Gómez, a physician who could possibly hold the cure to Rose's mystery illness, which has left her bound to a wheelchair. But in the sultry atmosphere of this sun-bleached town Sofia, who has been trapped by her mother’s illness all her life, finally starts to shed her inhibitions, enticed by the persuasive charms of enigmatic traveler Ingrid (Vicky Krieps). Sofia's increased freedom becomes too much for her controlling mother, and as the hot sun beats down, their relationship simmers with pent-up resentments and bitterness, threatening to tear the fragile threads that hold them together, and leading them to a dramatic conclusion.

Director: Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Producer: Christine Langan, Kate Glover, Giorgos Karnavas
Screenwriter: Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: HanWay Films, Film4
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 27, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $70.3K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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