Teeth (2007) Mitchell Lichtenstein
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If I'm totally honest, my main motivation for watching this infamous Mitchell Lichtenstein directed horror comedy was curiosity. I knew the basic premise, but basically nothing else. I kept my expectations low - the impression I got was that this might be a pretty poor film.
Body horror has always been an interesting subgenre - I think its popularity is evidence enough of humanity's strange obsession and fear of unfamiliar or 'alien' versions or parts of ourselves, especially if they're considered monstrous. I expected this film to be a rather shallow and misogynistic portrayal of gynaecological horror that would demonise women's bodies more than they already are.
However, I actually think the film had a lot more to say than I gave it credit for. Yes, the writing is, at times, shoddy, but I think Lichtenstein used the comedy side of his story to emphasise the absurdity of some of the misogynistic and patriachal rhetoric that is often spewed by outdated religious and political figures.
The sense of irony in the events of the story was as funny as it was effective. I will say, the film certainly isn't all laughs or poking fun though. There are some very genuinely upsetting moments, depicting violence and very taboo topics, which make for undeniably uncomfortable viewing.
As a brief aside, I too was worried when I saw a man directed the film, but I think he did a pretty decent job, all things considered. That said, I think it's hard to argue that it loses a little bit of its impact because of that.
For a film that perhaps gives the initial impression of being a gratuitous piece of horror, it actually takes a firmly feminist, pro-female autonomy stance. My worries were fairly well put to bed, in that sense. I think the film does a lot to shine a light on sexism and patriarchal culture, especially in regards to sex and women's sexual pleasure and agency.
The male gaze has a huge role in the film, as the protagonist finds herself almost always surrounded by men, and is lusted after by men. This could be seen as a negative, but it felt like a creative decision to further emphasise the message of the film. The whole point is that the character is, despite her completely nonsexual nature, still subject to the male gaze and patriarchal pressures to submit to men.
Jess Weixler was genuinely really solid in the second half of the film. I think she came into her own, and I think she was easily the best performer on-screen. I do think her earlier scenes were less enjoyable, though I'm willing to concede that the writing didn't help her.
The supporting cast didn't exactly impress me, to be honest. Regardless, I'll still mention a few; John Hensley, Josh Pais and Hale Appleman, although it must be said that none of them were particularly great.
Overall, I actually quite liked the film. Is it perfect? Far from it. However, I was both surprised and pleased to see such an interesting and refreshing take on body horror. I honestly spent most of the film, understandably, rooting for the men in the film to get their deserving karma. I was not expecting to appreciate the film as much as this, but I'm so glad that I watched it. I can certainly see why it's a bit of a cult classic.
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