In a sombre European apartment in the middle of the last century, Albert (Paul Hilton) cares for a 10-year-old girl. His main duty is to change her ice dentures several times a day, tending to a metal appliance fitted to her face. A voice telephones regularly to ask about the girl's well-being. One day, the voice tells the man to prepare the girl to leave the apartment and travel to a new destination. A journey begins.

One approaches Lucile Hadžihalilovic's films with caution. Those who have seen Innocence and Evolution know her cinema to be unsettling, suspenseful, and sometimes disturbing, without ever trading in the conventions of thrillers. But one emerges from Hadžihalilovic's films with a feeling of awe. She creates complete worlds that are haunting, beautiful, and strange. Earwig is no exception.