Head On is a 1998 Australian LGBT-related romantic drama film directed by Ana Kokkinos, who wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bovell and Mira Robertson.
[1] We meet Ari, a dissolute 19-year-old second generation Greek Australian living with his working class parents and sister in Melbourne.
He also connects easily with Joe's sister, Betty (E. Mandalis), as she too, engages in risky behaviours and rails against her Greek background.
She saw Sean and tells him: “Find a girl, get married, and then it doesn’t matter what you do.” Ari and Dina take drugs together and he has partial sex with Betty.
In the early morning light, Ari at Melbourne's docks, dancing, Greek-style, reflecting on his meaningless life.
Elena Mandalis and Dora Kaskanis, protagonists of the previous film, again took on Greek Australian roles as Betty and Dina.
The "bashing" scene at the police station, where Ari and Toula are assaulted by cops, was written for the film and does not come from the novel.
[10] Stratton also published a review inVariety praising Dimitrirades for his "fine, brave work", adding "Onscreen in virtually every scene, the young thesp utterly convinces as a reckless, hedonistic seeker of instant gratification.
Byrnes concluded "It is more like a Scorsese film, a descent into a form of hell, in which the main character must battle his demons or die.
"[12] The film received a retrospective review in The Guardian in 2014: "Head On is social realism crossed with a nightmare; kitchen sink drama that enters the realm of the senses...But viewed as a slow-burning portrait of an extended nightmare – of a coming of age gone brutally wrong – the film is painfully brilliant.
"[13] 1998 Australian Film Institute Awards And 8 nominations: L.A. Outfest San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival The soundtrack includes mostly Australian, British and Greek musical artists and composers: Death in Vegas, Lunatic Calm, Way Out West, The Saints, Underground Lovers, Dannii Minogue, Isaac Hayes, Silverchair, Primal Scream, The Visitors, Hot Chocolate, The Habibis, and Manos Loïzos.