The 52: Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's dead aunt)

 From June 2023 to June 2024 I'll be watching a lgbtqia+ film each week and coming back here with my thoughts, feelings and plenty of hopes we aren't met with the "kill your gays" trope. I call this The 52.

Let me just firstly say this: yes, it’s kinda a Kill Your Gays trope, if you couldn’t tell from the title. But I don’t think I’ll ever see it done so well, in a way that neither feels uncouth nor impersonal.

Image credit via Wikipedia.

I’d been aware of this film for a while now, but despite its being one of the few Australian films I have on my list I was a little wary. I’m not personally a fan of hugely Australian-trope filled films, those of the thick accent and overused idioms, but it was unfair of me to judge this genuinely wonderful film before I had even tested the waters: Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie’s Dead Aunt) was brilliant. Curious and tender and surprising, telling a personal and realistic story of identity in the lgbtqia+ community and the loss that we as a community face.

Everything came together so perfectly in this film to make it feel as if I was stepping into a secret world rather than being invited to watch a film on my laptop, sharing in the story of Ellie and Abbie as if I were a participant rather than a watcher. The soundtrack was joyful, the storytelling was clever, and the awkwardness of speaking to someone you like - the difficulty of approaching someone when you’re unsure of their sexuality - was genuine and funny.

Ellie’s aunt, who died before she was born, comes back as a ghost - as, apparently, all queer relatives do under special circumstances, to pass on their wisdom and tips like “ask her who her favourite AFL player is” to suss out fellow queers.

I felt like I had a similar experience as so many of us did with Heartstopper, being given the chance to experience a story that life hadn’t offered up, of being out at a pivotal time, of blossoming romance, of asking the girl you like to the social and the prospect of that being an issue just utterly archaic. It was… I think I’m struggling to find words other than “wonderful” and “joyous”, apparently being far more prepared to discuss films I didn’t like than ones I do- but it was well done. It was really well done.

The conflicts don’t revolve entirely around romance and for the first time in any lgbtqia+ film, book or show I could actually understand why Ellie’s mother reacted so negatively to her daughter coming out- even if I didn’t agree with it. 

The funniest, or maybe strangest aspect of the film was the way everyone reacted over a particular word beginning with “c”. The film has an MA+ rating in Australia because of the use of it 2-3 times and everyone reacts in utter horror at its being used the second time (feat. cawing magpie for comic relief) when that’s just not how it is in Australia. I know it’s a high school, but even so- it’s really not looked on so badly as all that over here.

Zoe Terakes, who played Abbie in the film and identifies as trans masc non binary, has been part of a growing conversation since the film’s release, as they spoke on de-gendering awards after having to pick between being nominated in the Actor or Actress catagory when neither wholly fit. I’d recommend reading this article and their quotes on the subject, as it’s a really important topic to be better educated on for all.

All in all, this has definitely been my favourite film so far and the only one I would consider rewatching. And I will, I’m sure it’s going to become a firm favourite.

Like things shorter? Follow me on Letterboxd and see my review.