Lonesome

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Lonesome

Released Feb 17, 2023

1h 35m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Two young men make a connection neither of them expects or knows how to navigate. Casey, a young man from the countryside running from a small-town scandal, finds himself down and out in the big smoke of Sydney. When he meets Tib, a young city lad, struggling with his own scars of isolation, there's chemistry, not only sexually but also emotionally as both men find something they have been missing. Can they overcome their own insecurities and let the other in or are the walls they have built too strong to knock down?

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Jared Richards

Guardian

Lonesome is happy to be a provocative talking point, establishing Boreham as a queer film-maker unafraid of making an important or niche work.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 22, 2023

Full Review

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

Lavery and Boreham make sex as much a character arc as a site of passion, a rare trick in modern film. By the midpoint of "Lonesome," sex isn’t just a means of survival for Casey; it’s a silent language expressing his desire to be loved.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 18, 2023

Full Review

Teo Bugbee

New York Times

“Lonesome” demonstrates a mature use of sex in cinema, a treatment that communicates narrative purpose without diminishing sex’s animalistic, physical side.

Feb 16, 2023

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Taylor Henderson

Out Magazine

Though Lonesome intends to investigate the innate connections between violence, trauma, and sex, its point is largely muddled by the sparing plot...

Jun 10, 2025

Full Review

Rubén Rosario

MiamiArtZine

It's a refreshingly unvarnished view of a gay man living on the margins, rendered with gusto, frank abandon and disarming optimism.

Jul 3, 2023

Full Review

Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

Dark, dirty and proudly sexy, there is a breathless sensuality too, hidden beneath the cold composition of rampant sex.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 21, 2023

Full Review

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Peter K

Shockingly realistic and well-done: this is not for the faint-hearted!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/16/25

Full Review

Rod O

This movie is an absolute triumph. Gritty, determined and edgy. Great performance with beautiful cinematography. 5 shining stars!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/24

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Ty N

This is an interesting character study. There is emotional depth, but the meandering narrative undermines any sense of cohesion.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

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Ken V

Neither the critics, nor especially the audience reviews, understand that the underlying narrative of "Lonesome" is one of trauma. Yes, it's unabashedly sexually explicit, and some of the sex an exploration of the world of BDSM/Kink, but the two main characters each express their individual traumas in how they experience and express themselves sexually. One is an illegal immigrant whose mother was deported, the other a refugee from conservative cattle country, escaping his homophobic abusive father and ever present thoughts of suicide, yet they find some measure of care and redemption in each other's inexperienced arms. Lonesome is an unflinching look at the darkest aspects of being alone and gay on the streets, where two young men discover that the only salve for shame is relationship.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

Full Review

Tim E

I'm not a fan of trigger warnings, but audiences need to be warned about this movie: a lot of explicit gay sex, including extreme sexual violence. The movie held my attention, but in a nightmarish way, a descent into hell. The movie is obsessed with sex and the male body; the camera spends a great deal of time showing the naked body of the hunky star. A drifter floats through a world of gay sexual obsession, both titillating and a bit sickening. Yes, all that and it is arty, too.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/12/23

Full Review

Jay B

The moral of this story seemed to be: the least toxic choice might be your soulmate! It's sad, because the film seemed to be building towards some level of emotional depth. But, at the end of the day, the audience is left with the shallow.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/06/23

Full Review

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Craig Boreham

Director

Josh Lavery

Casey

Zarif

Tib

Anni Finsterer

Carol

Ian Roberts

Pietro

Craig Boreham

Writer

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Synopsis

Two young men make a connection neither of them expects or knows how to navigate. Casey, a young man from the countryside running from a small-town scandal, finds himself down and out in the big smoke of Sydney. When he meets Tib, a young city lad, struggling with his own scars of isolation, there's chemistry, not only sexually but also emotionally as both men find something they have been missing. Can they overcome their own insecurities and let the other in or are the walls they have built too strong to knock down?

Director: Craig Boreham
Producer: Ulysses Oliver, Dean Francis, Ben Ferris, Craig Boreham
Screenwriter: Craig Boreham
Distributor: Dark Star Pictures
Production Co: Breathless Films, JJ Splice films, Doco Digital
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: Australian English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 7, 2023
Runtime: 1h 35m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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