Writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein tells the story of the sexual awakening of a naive high school student who was previously a prominent participant of her local chastity group.

Pretty and demure girl-next-door Dawn (Jess Weixler) faces the daily challenges that come with saving herself for marriage and dealing with family troubles at home.

So far, so seen-it-all-before.

Dawn is still a stranger to her own body. Her wearing a ring of abstinence conveniently explains why she has yet to discover an anatomical anomaly within herself.

She has a set of teeth where you would least expect. Her condition is called 'vagina dentata' in mythological folklore, and you don't need an O-Level in Latin to figure that one out.

When she is sexually attacked by Tobey (Hale Appleman), Dawn is forced to confront her physical peculiarity.

And her subsequent struggle to comprehend and control the condition – as her dysfunctional suburban family life collapses in the background – comprises the remainder of the plot.

The slasher horror-style gore elements are soundtracked by dramatic drumbeats and the requisite screams. They are truly terrifying – especially from a male perspective – and serve to underline Teeth as perhaps the worst first date movie ever.

But a story dragging such subject matter into mainstream indie cinema was always going to test the boundaries somewhere. It is certainly not for the squeamish.

These gory moments are balanced by a wry black humour, and the fact the film manages not to completely fall apart owes much to this. The very premise dictates that taking itself too seriously would have signalled the death of Teeth.

Dawn's off-the-rails pot-smoking stepbrother Brad (John Hensley, of Nip/Tuck fame) is a memorable character.

His lack of respect for his dad and stepmum ties in to the main storyline towards the end, but much of the homelife subplot still feels unnecessary.

The biggest positive to come from this movie will undoubtedly be Weixler, who snapped up a special jury prize at 2007's Sundance Festival for her efforts here.

In her first lead role, the 27-year-old plays the part of Dawn to perfection. The script's sparse dialogue gives her ample room to exploit the character's body language and facial expressions.

The suitably-named Dawn experiences a wild journey through sexual awakening to the eventual realisation of the power her condition affords her.

Weixler knows exactly how far to push the character in each stage, from the film's initial innocence to a heated conclusion that lands just the right side of clichéd.

By now it will be clear this film is not for everyone. But against the usual background of shiny summer blockbusters, it offers cinemagoers a true alternative.

The eventual DVD release is sure to secure this film a cult status. It is by no means flawless, but Teeth cannot be accused of lacking bite.

Star rating ***