The brief encounter with life-altering effects is a core romantic drama trope but it never gets old. We've all felt some version of it, whether it's the pang of curiosity about a connection that was never fulfilled, or deep longing for a person with whom you had only a fleeting amount of time.
The Australian movie OF AN AGE follows a couple who have a one-day affair only to reconnect a decade later. They don't start off as a couple, of course. Nikola joins Adam on an odyssey to find Adam's sister and Nikola's dance partner Ebony, who woke up somewhere remote following a party.
It's not a spoiler to say that Adam and Nikola connect, but we can't tell you how that plays out when both have to go their separate ways. Look at the OF AN AGE trailer below to get a taste of the dramatic yearning the movie conjures.
The Of An Age Trailer Pencils In A Life-Changing Romance
Writer/director Goran Stolevski, who also made the unsettling and artful horror movie YOU WON'T BE ALONE, seems to have a talent for putting audiences right in the physical space with his leads, and in their emotional space as well.
A Talented Trio 
OF AN AGE revolves primarily around three characters, all of whom were expertly cast. Nikola is played by wide-eyed Elias Anton, who, despite his character's skittishness, clearly has presence and charisma. As Adam, Thom Green looks intriguing but unreadable — and his own magnetism meshes well with that of Anton.
Green played a key role in the Australian TV series "Dance Academy" and was seen in the streaming series "Eden" as well. Elias Anton was on "Neighbours" because someone in this cast had to be in Australia's long-running soap, and starred in the series "Barracuda." Playing Adam's younger sister, Ebony, is newcomer Hattie Hook, who has already followed up this movie with the series "Savage River."
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OF AN AGE begins with a jolt of energy before settling down somewhat, thanks to sophomore feature filmmaker Goran Stolevski. One review notes that "Stolevski’s direction possesses the same frantic kineticism as the Safdie brothers’, inducing all the stomach-churning anxiety of UNCUT GEMS – and then some." The same review notes how the filmmaking is a proxy between Nikola and the audience, as the "camera sneaks glances" at Adam as the young man's interests are awakened.
Originally an Australian independent film before Focus Features picked it up for distribution in the United States, OF AN AGE is the sort of movie that seems to herald the development of a filmmaker who will be working for years to come.
OF AN AGE opens on February 17.
All images courtesy of Focus Features.