During the days when video shop shelves were filled with all manner of cinema from throughout the world, there was a trend for teen sex comedies. They would be the likes of Porky’s or the Israeli Lemon Popsicle series. Among them was this Australian film Puberty Blues. It’s unlike any of the other movies in the genre as it’s presented from the viewpoint of the girls and is of a much higher standard.

Set in a seaside suburb of Sydney, the story follows Debbie (Nell Schofield) and her friend Sue (Jad Capelja) as they try to fit in with the ‘in crowd’ at school and, more importantly, on the beach. All the lads are surfers and the girls are only there for mainly one thing – rooting. As they go through the usual teenage heartache and humiliation, Debbie realises she wants more than this gang can provide.

Forgoing the crassness of the other movies mentioned above, Puberty Blues is a well-crafted, honest, and entertaining film. Directed by Aussie legend Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) and featuring a cast of mostly non-actors, it gives the viewer a raw insight into the lives of these beach-dwelling teens. It’s based on a book of the same name that caused quite a stir Down Under (and inspired a TV series more recently) and despite the initial content, is very much a feminist story.

There are nods to the Beach Party films of the sixties, particularly in the raucous fight scene, but it’s in the social commentary that Puberty Blues hits the most. The girls are there to be seen, to fetch food, and copulate on demand. However, Debbie wants more than this, despite being desperate to fit in and going along with numerous awkward moments.

Umbrella Entertainment’s Blu-ray showers the film with some outstanding special features, including a reuniting of several of the main cast, and new interviews with the director and star Nell Schofield. It’s easy to see why the movie has become a cult film, and it deserves to be rediscovered in the wider world.

Puberty Blues is available on Blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment.