Baby Tooth (2025)

-Written by Kyle Bain.  

2025 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!

I’m always one to look for a deeper meaning, to attempt to see if there’s a social commentary or the like present in a film–particularly one that seems absurd on the surface. With that, I’ll be the first to say, I don’t understand Baby Tooth. I’m not sure if there’s something to learn from this film, or if it’s just meant to be a short, silly escape from reality. 

When Marina (Dakota Bouher)–an apt name–attempts to sell her late grandfather’s boat, she finds that the individuals interested are unique to say the least. Furthermore, Marina hopes to coax someone into pulling out her last remaining Baby Tooth, because…why not? This short film is a quick escape from the monotony of life–and maybe there’s something a little deeper along the way. 

Much like this film, I feel it’s best that I keep this review short and sweet. With little in terms of depth (at least that I can find), Baby Tooth is an intentionally fractured film that manages to be quite fun. The boat, the tooth, the eccentric potential buyers, and Marina–the effervescent enigma. There are so many moving pieces present in such a short amount of time. They step on each other’s toes, they come off as completely insane, and there were a series of moments in which I simply thought to myself “what the fuck?”

Writer-Director Olivia Accardo appears to look at this process of filmmaking as something of a game–and that’s certainly not to say that she believes it to be a joke, but rather that the purpose is to have fun with the production. Buried within the absurdities of Baby Tooth is solid cinematography, effective sound design, and stellar editing. Again, as if this were a game, Accardo plays it incredibly well. 

Baby Tooth is an escape from reality that manages to possess a simple commentary on the world around us. Whether that’s impatience, selfishness, or something else entirely–I believe that the film possesses something deeper than what initially appears on the surface. 

Written & Directed by Olivia Accardo. 

Starring Dakota Bouher, Keith Roy Chrismon, & Lisa Hawthorne. 

7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE