Warm sand and the calming noise of the sea in the background: Actually, this could be a relaxing vacation in a Spanish fishing village that is far from the rest of the world. As idyllic as the backdrop of Hot Milk looks at first glance: the directorial debut of Rebecca Lenkiewicz will soon only tell of the sun, which burns mercilessly into grueled souls.
Hot Milk, as one of 19 films in the Berlinale competition in 2025, competes for the Golden Bear and is based on the novel of the same name by Deborah Levy, which became bestseller nine years ago. The story of one is told toxic mother-daughter relationshipwhich tenses the torture for 92 minutes and fluctuates uncomfortably between psycho-thriller and erotic drama.
Netflix star Emma Mackey and Fiona Shaw duel with Hot Milk in the Berlinale competition
Sofia (Emma Mackey) does not know exactly what rose (Fiona Shaw) has happened. Her mother has been in a wheelchair since the earliest days of her childhood and complains about pain. She can’t move her legs. She only succeeds once a year to get up and take a few steps. It is precisely this story that tells the miracle healer Dr. Gomez (Vincent Perez), who takes you out in the coastal town of Almería.
With unconventional methods, Dr. Gomez does what has not been achieved for decades of medication and visits to the doctor for decades. As soon as he begins to ask rose questions about their lives, however. The same applies if Sofia wants to know what happened in the past of her mother. There is always something else that is more important, for example a glass of water for the non -existent thirst.
No wonder that Sofia can be found in her mother’s wheelchair in her mother. Rose ‘illness has long since become the prison of her daughter. Passive-aggressive looks are on the agenda. However, Rose does not see most of them – or deliberately dazzles them. She prefers to ask for the next glass of water or another minor, which suddenly seems incredibly important.
Although the relationship between mother and daughter obviously crunches, the two somehow get along, even do tenderness. Only when Sofia on the beach sees the apparently released tourist Ingrid (Vicky Krieps) riding on a horse, her longing for another life takes over. But then she threatens to break into Ingrid’s ultimate freedom.
Rebecca Lenkiewicz conjures up an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere in her directorial debut
Even before Hot Milk, Lenkiewicz brought complex women figures to the cinema, but not as a director, but as a screenwriter. Ida, disobedient and colette were important stations on their trip. She wrote her biggest film so far with the drama She Said, who tells the history of the journalists, whose research has changed the allegations of abuse against Harvey Weinstein Hollywood forever.
With Hot Milk, Lenkiewicz ventures into the director’s chair in addition to her work as a screenwriter and plays with genre elements as never before in her career as a filmmaker. As soon as she begins to explore the movement radios of her individual characters, make mood swings provide an uncomfortable feeling and let us puzzle what kind of film it really is.
Are we in the terrain of women’s exhausting heat in the dark? Or will soon take over the thrill factor of a Sundown? Does Hot Milk escalate the tense situation between Sofia and her mother and reveal a lie/trauma? Or does Ingrid finally destroy the brittle relationship between the two protagonists as a seductive force? Whatever it is: It bubbles every second.
Lenkiewicz prefers to stay at this moment of uncertainty and observes the expressive faces of her two main actresses. For Macke, who celebrated her breakthrough with the Netflix series Sex Education, Hot Milk marks the next film after the great Emily Brontë-Biopic Emily in which she can prove herself in a leading role. Resentment and rabbits collide in their eyes.
Even more bitter than aunt Petunia in Harry Potter: Fiona Shaw is a force in Hot Milk
The most outrageous performance belongs to Fiona Shaw. After making the Star Wars universe quake in Andor two years ago, she now conjures up a bitter presence, which often reminds of the strict features of her aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter films. She commanded, determine, restricts. Doesn’t allow your pain. Suffers and whines. Is suppressed and oppressively at the same time.
The fact that the script of all people is the largest weakness of Lenkiewicz ‘directorial debut can be cope with when the camera two such strong lead performances can capture. Macke, whose face is illuminated by the sun, even if it blows tribulation. And Shaw, who sinks into the shadow of the holiday home, as if Petunia had decided out of fear of the magic world to never leave the house again.
We saw Hot Milk as part of the Berlinale 2025. On May 29, 2025, the film starts regularly in German cinemas.