Craig Boreham’s raunchy queer flick Lonesome is an unflinching drama that isn’t shy about getting on its knees and taking a closer look at Sydney’s hook-up app lifestyle.

Country bumpkin Casey arrives in Sydney after a tragedy back west (you know he’s from the country because he’s got a cowboy hat). Alone and adrift, Casey doesn’t really seem to have a plan of action, other than just that.

A plan to get some action.

Following a Grindr ping he is soon shacked up with Tib, who seems equally lost following family problems of his own. Tib helps Casey find work doing odd jobs around Sydney and the two will-they-won’t-they themselves into something more than friends but less than Facebook official.

As the story unravels so to does Casey’s mysterious newcomer-chic, it all gets a bit complicated and the darker side of the hook up lifestyle slowly makes its way to the surface.

At it’s helm, Lonesome is a somewaht erotic tale about young men looking for an intimate connection that they think they can only find through sex. Boreham uses Casey to personify the filter of chiselled torsos and biceps, using his vulnerabilities and isolation to humanise the grid of gay men just an app away.

“I wanted the film to be honest about the part sex plays in this navigation and the way gay men in particular use it. ” – Craig Boreham, Director

Lonesome shirks the heteronormative as it explores the non exclusive relationship between its two main characters. Tib and Casey are both incredibly sexually active so prepare yourself for some pretty hefty sex scenes, it’s probably not one to watch with your mum. Actor Josh Laverty isn’t shy about strutting it in the nuddy and less than 12 minutes in Casey’s already ploughing his way through Sydney’s gay scene, so if stocky 20 something guys are your thing then you are gonna want to watch this. 

Lonesome slips into Australia’s unapologetic gay cinema genre nice and easily, whilst it may not be unexplored territory, but it is definitely worth a watch.

Can’t get enough of gay cinema? Don’t worry, we can’t either. Take a look at what else you might have missed here.