Review of Teeth (2000) by Sarah E — 24 May 2010

What should an audience expect from a movie like 'Teeth'? Apparently a lot. Jess Wexler acts her heart out as Dawn, the wide-eyed innocent virgin struggling with her budding sexuality, only to discover that she is...different. As a result of growing up near a nuclear power plant, Dawn has become equipped with a second set of teeth in a mouth every boy she encounters wants to crawl into. What starts off as a curse eventually becomes Dawn's greatest asset as the movie begs the question, if one mouth has teeth, why shouldn't the other?

Male audience members have complained that the depiction of men in this film is offensive, but the premise of this movie necessitates the absolute assholery of male characters just as an action film necessitates the whiny bitchery of female characters. Dawn has to be a target of sexual advances in order to create terror, both for herself and her sexual partners, most of whom deserve what they get. 'Teeth' is at its core a contemporary retelling of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. Men try to conquer the castrated object only to discover that, in Dawn's case, the castrated object bites back. The movie reclaims the power from the father, as it is the rule of the mother that results in male punishment and mutilation. Even from a non-critical stance, 'Teeth' proves enjoyable for any horror fan, providing an original monster - some might even say THE original monster - and a whole lot of carnage.