Ghost stories are ubiquitous in popular culture, so it takes a lot to make one feel fresh. Creator AP Pobjoy turns to the tried-and-true language of the supernatural for SBS series Homebodies; not for cheap thrills or easy metaphor but to illuminate aspects of the trans experience. As a result, Pobjoy delivers an original and strikingly interesting premise that reminds us of the malleability of horror as a genre. The paranormal is used as a lens to explore themes including identity and memory, as well as a fraught but tenderly drawn mother-child relationship.
The series – a collection of six 10-minute episodes on SBS on Demand that will also air as a one-hour special on 28 March – not only subverts ghost stories but also the old “estranged child returns to their small town home” chestnut. This setup was central to recent feature films such as The Travellers and The Dry and is a long-running (if slightly moth-eaten) fixture of Australian screen stories.
