Head On (1998)

61% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(2,558 ratings)

In this gritty Australian drama, the nihilistic son of Greek immigrants indulges in 24 hours of hedonism in ethnically conflicted inner-city Melbourne. Ari (Alex Dimitriades), a 19-year-old layabout, spends his time picking up strange men for furtive sex; dealing, and doing, speed with his friends;… More In this gritty Australian drama, the nihilistic son of Greek immigrants indulges in 24 hours of hedonism in ethnically conflicted inner-city Melbourne. Ari (Alex Dimitriades), a 19-year-old layabout, spends his time picking up strange men for furtive sex; dealing, and doing, speed with his friends; fighting with his conservative father and beleaguered mother; and trying to look after his younger sister, Alex (Andrea Mandalis), who's involved in a clandestine relationship with a young Lebanese guy. Although Ari rails against the racism of Australian society, he's also a bit of a bigot himself. And despite his enthusiastic participation in Greek activities -- weddings, fortune tellers, music, and dancing -- he's also repulsed by his culture's intolerance. Best friend Johnny (Paul Capsis), who defiantly dresses up as his own dead mother, is an outcast, but the straight-seeming Ari refuses to drop him. During the course of a single day, Ari fools around with his friend Betty (Elena Mandalis) and several men of various ages and nationalities. He also pines away for Sean (Julian Garner), a dreamy college friend of his brother's, who may offer a loving alternative to self-destructive excess. When Ari and Johnny are arrested and brutalized by a pair of race-baiting cops, however, the chance for redemption seems more remote than ever. Adapted from the Christos Tsiolkas novel Loaded, Head On marked the feature debut of writer/director Ana Kokkinos, herself an Australian of Greek extraction. The film was shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Ana Kokkinos
Written By: Andrew Bovell, Mira Robertson
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Aug 13, 1999 Limited
On DVD: Oct 3, 2000
Studio: Strand Releasing

Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
Director Ana Kokkinos has an eye for local color but spends little time developing the supporting characters.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
In a way, the film is a kissing cousin to the 1960s kitchen sink dramas of the British cinema and the working-class angst of German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Anyone of any generation who has ever felt at odds with his or her environment can identify with the characters in Head On.
Gemma Files, Film.com
One of this year's most sensual tragic spectacles -- a tour-de-force on a thousand different levels, with no easy happy endings in sight.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lady D

Straight from the off this film begins with a natural, well acted plot, with a good role played by Alex Dimitriades. The realisticness of the film, does make it feel a little slow moving, but remains an enjoyable watch throughout. In his duel cultural background, the character… More
Straight from the off this film begins with a natural, well acted plot, with a good role played by Alex Dimitriades. The realisticness of the film, does make it feel a little slow moving, but remains an enjoyable watch throughout. In his duel cultural background, the character struggles to please his family and struggles to hide his sexuality of which he, himself finds is also finding hard to accept. Drug fuelled binges provides him with escapism, whilst denying himself the one thing that could make him happy.
Daniel P

One of the most depressing but gripping 'struggle in the closet' films I have ever seen, with a fantastic, charismatic and emotive performance from anti-hero Alex Dimitriades (who, judging from his IMDB page, needs to get a better agent). It's a niche subject perhaps,… More
One of the most depressing but gripping 'struggle in the closet' films I have ever seen, with a fantastic, charismatic and emotive performance from anti-hero Alex Dimitriades (who, judging from his IMDB page, needs to get a better agent). It's a niche subject perhaps, which is then squeezed into another minority - a traditional Greek family - but it's expertly written and played and actually has broad appeal. Ari's downward spiral (he starts close to the gutter and disappears into it by the time of the slightly rushed, bleaker than bleak ending) is gripping and entirely believable, the Aussie streets have a grimy/murky, hellish feel and some of the lines cross the boundaries of sexy/disturbing/distressing (<i>"don't spill it"</i>). Kinetic direction and a brilliant (and now nostalgic) soundtrack both ground and enhance a very good film. Pity about the off-putting poster art.