Lonesome Is a Chaotic, Horny Mess of a Film (With a Fisting Scene)

Lonesome, a new gay drama from Australian filmmaker Craig Boreham, explores the intersection of sex and trauma — in the horniest way possible.

We meet up with a man named Casey (played by Josh Lavery) who is running away from a small-town scandal to the big city of Sydney. He crashes house parties for food and uses Grindr for sex, showers, and a warm bed. He's adrift (and suicidal) until he stumbles into a threesome with a guy named Tib (Daniel Gabriel).

What begins as a one-night stand turns into... not exactly a romance. The two are drawn to each other for an unapparent reason: Tib takes Casey under his wing, giving him a place to stay in exchange for sex his company. In between numerous shots of dick and balls and ass, we learn more about the backstories of the two men. They're both running from their own dark pasts, but are hesitant to reveal themselves to each other. And after an STI tester refers to Casey as Tib's boyfriend, feelings begin brewing within him.

The movie is semi-romantic until Tib starts to spiral after a phone call with his mom – and inviting home random men to fill his hole the void while Casey, shoved aside, tries to sleep on the couch. Tension and jealousy hang thick in the air until another threesome has catastrophic consequences.

Though Lonesomeintends to investigate the innate connections between violence, trauma, and sex, its point is largely muddled by the sparing plot between cock shots and ultimately overshadowed by the sheer amount of nudity. We even get a graphic fisting scene that left my mouth hanging open and my stomach churning.

This is not an uplifting movie. Casey and Tib's story is riddled with sex, sadness, stalking, and a baffling ending. At one point, the two main men brawl with each other during a fistfight, which the film ultimately smooths over as a "bump in the road" rather than domestic abuse.

At its best, Lonesome will prompt gay men to look inward, holding a microscope over these two characters' sex habits and kinks and asking why. But does the film intend to entertain, educate, or glamorize?

Watch at your own discretion.

Lonesome is available now on demand. Watch the trailer below.

Lonesome Official Trailer | Romance, LGBTQ, Drama | Frameline, NewFestwww.youtube.com