Three teenagers live an isolated existence, within the confines of their pristine house, blocked from society by a fence, and only allowed to go into the real world when their “dogtooth,” or canine tooth, has eventually fallen out, symbolising their official coming-of-age.
The brilliance here is that, without any clues to the family's past, you easily understand what has been happening. The director skilfully drops tantalising clues, keeping the viewer in a state of suspense and wonder. Yorgos Lanthimos exploded on to the world stage, winning the Un Certain Regard prize in Cannes which recognises emerging talent and daring work and a Best Film in a Foreign Language Oscar nomination the next year. This uniquely unsettling scenario is open to interpretation and the film will stick around long after you are released from its grip.
