A24 is developing a new documentary titled “Open Wide,” about an orthodontist whose controversial method of reshaping people’s jawlines went viral on TikTok for all the wrong reasons.
Sara Goldblatt directed “Open Wide,” which will be available to watch Jan. 23 on Netflix.
The documentary explores a father and son who are fighting to upend mainstream orthodontics. According to the official logline, “John Mew has waged a lonely war against the industry — and that teenage rite of passage, braces, for decades. With his son Mike now taking up the fight, the Mews’ fringe theories have turned into a full-blown online sensation. But even while mewing goes viral on TikTok and the Mews churn out content for their millions of followers, Mike is pursued by the British Orthodontic Society and threatened with expulsion by the very people who took away his father’s license.”
The father-son’s technique of “mewing,” which is not scientifically proven, is intended to lift the jawline, alleviate pain and improve sleep. The practice is highly contentious in the world of orthodontics and even caused a 6-year-old boy to suffer “seizure-like episodes” while being treated by Mew, according to the BBC.
“What’s in a face? The answer I learned from John and Mike Mew is: so much more than you think,” Goldblatt said in a statement. “I was drawn to the two men because of the controversy surrounding their unorthodox beliefs, and discovered a story about family and legacy and why we care about the things we care about. It’s a real rabbit hole, and I hope people will enjoy going down it as much as I did.”
Goldblatt’s credits include the true crime series “The Confession Tapes” on Netflix; “First and Last,” a daily look inside a Georgia jail; and “Dr. Feelgood,” the story of a pain doctor who went to prison for overprescribing opiods.
Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster of Muck Media served as producers alongside A24. Muck Media has backed a range of documentaries, including “Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller,” “American Pain,” “Menudo: Forever Young” and “Mucho Mucho Amor.”
A24’s documentaries include “Val,” a look at the life and career of Val Kilmer; “Stephen Curry: Underrated,” a coming-of-age story about the rise of an NBA All Star; “The Deepest Breath,” about a freediver hoping to set a world record; and Morgan Neville’s upcoming documentary on Steve Martin.
On the feature film front, A24 recently released the sports drama “The Iron Claw,” Sofia Coppola’s biographical drama “Priscilla” and Celine Song’s romantic drama “Past Lives.”