They’re herrrrre! (CREDIT: Ben King / © Of An Age Films Pty Ltd)

Starring: Elias Anton, Thom Green, Hattie Hook

Director: Goran Stolevski

Running Time: 99 Minutes

Rating: R for A Sexual Awakening or Two

Release Date: February 17, 2023 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: Life as a teenage Serbian immigrant in 1999 Australia may not be the most ideal scenario for coming out of the closet. (Of course, what even is an ideal scenario?) But sometimes you have an unexpected experience that forces you to admit who you really are. That’s what happens to Kol (Elias Anton) on a day that starts about as disastrously as possible. His friend and ballroom dancing partner Ebony (Hattie Hook) is lost in the middle of nowhere after a drunken night out, so Kol enlists her older brother Adam (Thom Green) to help track her down in a quixotic bid to get to their performance in time. A fitting choreographic conclusion might not be in the cards, but when Adam offhandedly mentions that his ex was a guy, Kol’s conception of his own world suddenly opens up exponentially.

What Made an Impression?: As far as tragic queer romances go, Of an Age is hardly revolutionary, but it’s certainly heartfelt. And frankly, it could’ve been a lot more tragic. It’s not exactly a spoiler to reveal that Kol and Adam’s story isn’t a simple fairy tale “happily ever after.” But the 21st century offers the potential of plenty of fulfillment for both of them. This might not be the story of meeting The One against seemingly insurmountable odds, but it is a story about a formative experience that’s worth telling.

But I’m going to be honest with you: my enjoyment of Of an Age had relatively little to do with whether or not any attractions were or weren’t consummated, and a whole lot more to do with Kol and Ebony annihilating the dancefloor to the tune of Nelly Furtado’s “Maneater” when we zip ahead to her wedding in 2010. Ebony is a piece of work, but she’s the kind of piece of work who you look back at and go, “You know what? I’m glad we met when we did and that we’ve kept in touch all these years.” And “Maneater” is a bop that simply cannot be resisted no matter how much you’re struggling with your identity.

Of an Age is Recommended If You Like: Sheilas

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 House Parties