Burnt Milk is a visual interpretation of Miss Ronnie's debut novel named after the common Caribbean dessert made by boiling condensed milk until it’s caramelized. In the film, this dessert is one of the few comforts afforded to Una, an alienated and isolated Jamaican midwife living in the United Kingdom.
The crux of the film is centered around Una’s monologue, written by Miss Ronnie and performed by actress Tamara Lawrance. In line with Joseph’s previous films Mada and Like A Baptism, the protagonist Una is caught in a cycle beyond her control, and so much bigger than her. Joseph talks about his interest in “people who are trying to escape the world around them or break cycles, and the different portals they use to do that." She longs to return back to Jamaica.