While on a seaside holiday with his family, a teenage boy becomes infatuated with a young woman accompanying them as a housekeeper. As his older brother begins a relationship with her, the boy’s frustration grows, leading to actions that disrupt both the family dynamic and the fragile relationships around him. The conflict culminates in a breakdown of trust between the brothers.
Direction
Hogan's debut already shows his gift for domestic unease.
Acting
Shadlow's silent resentment speaks louder than dialogue.
Cinematography
Sun-bleached beaches hiding rot underneath.
Director
P.J. Hogan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
P.J. Hogan later directed Muriel's Wedding and My Best Friend's Wedding—this early short already shows his fixation on messy female protagonists and the chaos they create.
Shot in 1984 Australia, the film captures a specific post-colonial middle-class holiday culture now vanishing—seaside rentals, live-in help, teenage boredom as moral danger.
AU
