Of an Age — A Stirring Aussie Gay Romance

‘Of An Age’, the latest film from wunderkind Macedonian-Australian Director Goran Stolevski is essential viewing. This intensely moving queer love story is markedly different in tone to his previous effort, the elevated art-house horror film ‘You Won’t be Alone’.

Joining similarly-themed movies like ‘Head On’ and ‘Holding the Man’, Stolevski’s sophomore feature is destined to become a classic of Australian queer cinema.

Set in outer-suburban Melbourne in 1999, ‘Of An Age’ is the story of Kol  (Elias Anton), an 18-year-old amateur ballroom dancer of Serbian background who has received a frantic call from his dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook in a scene-stealing performance) who has woken up disoriented on a beach she doesn’t recognise.

With two hours until their dance competition final, Kol is desperate to pick Ebony up. Kol learns that Ebony’s brother Adam (Thom Green) has a car, and the pair set off on a road trip that will affect their lives profoundly. Over the course of this drive, the two young men bond (and flirt) over their common interest in music and literature, and a strong attraction develops between them.  When Adam casually reveals he is gay, Kol initially responds with masculine posturing that fades as their connection to each other grows.

Meeting Adam compels Kol to face his sexuality, which he hides due to the pressures of his conservative Balkan family.

Of an Age is a Small-Scale Gay Australian Romance Strikes Big Erotic Sparks - Hollywood Reporter

As in ‘Weekend’, Andrew Haigh’s critically-acclaimed queer feature from 2011, dramatic tension builds when it appears that life circumstances will cut short the men’s whirlwind romance, as Adam is travelling to Argentina the next day to complete his PHD. Over the next 24 hours, they must make the most of their remaining time together.    The film’s second act takes place in 2010 and sees Adam and Kol reunite for the first time in 11 years when they return to Melbourne for Ebony’s wedding.

Of an Age

After running into each other at the airport, it is obvious their attraction remains unresolved. This time around, can they pick up where they left off? ‘Of An Age’ has garnered considerable acclaim on the festival circuit and recently won the audience award at the 2023 Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney.

With his intimate and quietly compelling film, Stolevski has cemented his growing reputation as a director to watch. At turns, poignant, sexy, and heartbreaking, ‘Of An Age’ is an unforgettable story of romantic yearning and the redemptive power of love.

'OF AN AGE' MOVIE TRAILER

Of An Age film Trailer

‘Of An Age’  - Released in Australia on 23 March 2023 and will screen at Dendy Cinemas and Palace Electric. 

• Rated MA: Strong Coarse Language
  100 minutes.