Character Relationship Map: Babyteeth

Characters

• Milla (played by Eliza Scanlen) — protagonist

  A 16-year-old cancer patient who develops a complex relationship with 23-year-old Moses. She navigates her illness, family tensions, and a romance intertwined with drug access. Accepting her mortality...

• Moses (played by Toby Wallace) — protagonist

  A 23-year-old drug addict who initially exploits Milla for prescription drugs. After periods of theft and abandonment, he returns to the family, undergoes withdrawal to stay sober, and prioritizes his...

• Anna (played by Essie Davis) — supporting

  Milla's musician mother and Henry's wife. Initially wary of Moses due to the age gap, she becomes permissive to support her daughter's happiness. She confronts Moses about theft, navigates the family'...

• Henry (played by Ben Mendelsohn) — supporting

  Milla's psychiatrist father and Anna's husband. He struggles with the Milla-Moses relationship but facilitates Moses living with them to keep Milla content. Secretly drugging Moses backfires, causing...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Anna → Moses (Power Guardian) — Anna attempts to control Moses's access to her daughter and home.

  Anna warns Moses to stay away from Milla after discovering him robbing the family for prescription drugs.

• Milla → Moses (Romantic Partner) — Their romance is intense, unconventional, and closely connected to Milla's mortality.

  Milla develops a crush on Moses, pursues him, spends time with him, and later has sex with him.

• Anna → Henry (Family Spouse) — They function as parents and partners under severe emotional pressure.

  Anna is identified as Henry's wife, and they jointly respond to Milla's illness and relationship.

• Milla → Anna (Family Daughter) — Their relationship combines parental concern with emotional acceptance.

  Anna is described as Milla's mother and becomes involved in decisions concerning Milla's relationship with Moses.

• Milla → Henry (Family Daughter) — A loving but strained father-daughter relationship shaped by Milla's illness.

  Henry is identified as Milla's father. He worries about her relationship with Moses and later promises to care for Moses after her death.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Henry → Moses (Alliance Host) — Henry brings Moses into the household as a means of supporting Milla.

  Henry tracks Moses down and asks him to come live with the family, promising access to drugs if he continues making Milla happy.

Story Analysis

A terminally ill teenager finds intense love while her family struggles to protect her, accept her mortality, and respond to Moses's addiction.

Plot Progression

1. A Dangerous First Encounter — Milla, a teenager living with cancer, meets Moses on a railway platform and quickly becomes attached to him. She introduces him to her parents despite their concerns about the age difference.
2. Trust Broken At Home — Moses is caught robbing the family for prescription drugs, but Milla pleads for leniency. Anna warns him away, yet Moses continues visiting Milla and draws her into his risky lifestyle.
3. Love Through Abandonment — Milla joins Moses on drug runs and attends a party before being abandoned on a rooftop. Her parents find her weakened and take her to the hospital, intensifying their fears.
4. Drugs Within The Family — Anna and Henry permit Moses to remain close to Milla, but another medication theft causes Milla to reject him. Henry then invites Moses into the family under a dangerous arrangement involving drugs.
5. Choosing Love Before Goodbye — Milla discovers Henry has been drugging Moses and sends him away, but Moses returns and undergoes withdrawal. After Milla's birthday, they share a final intimate night before her peaceful death.