# Invisible Boys

Invisible Boys is an Australian drama for Stan that premiered on 13 February 2025. It is created and directed by Nicholas Verso, adapted from the novel of the same name by Holden Sheppard. The series follows the challenges of teens in the coastal city of Geraldton in Western Australia following the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite, it focuses on finding friendships, solace and understanding on what makes them 'invisible'.

## Plot

Set against the backdrop of Australia’s 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite, Invisible Boys explores the challenges faced by a group of gay teens in the remote coastal city of Geraldton, Western Australia after one of them is outed on social media following an encounter with a married man. As they form a tight-knit friendship, the boys find solace and support in one another, exploring their desires and identities in a world that often renders them invisible.

## Cast

On 12 March 2024 the cast for the series was announced.
* Joseph Zada as Charlie Roth
* Joe Klocek as Matt Jones
* Aydan Calafiore as Zeke Calogero
* Zach Blampied as Kade 'Hammer' Hammersmith
* Pia Miranda as Anna Calogero
* David Lyons as Father Mulroney
* Myles Pollard as Jack Hammersmith
* Shareena Clanton as Karla Hammersmith
* Elaine Crombie as Aunty Doris
* Mercy Cornwall as Rochelle Griffin
* Khan Chittenden as Cal Roth
* Hayley McElhinney as Nadine Roth
* Jamie Ward as Lorenzo Calogero
* Catherine Moore as Miss Collard
* Jade Baynes as Bec
* Isaac Davies as Ian Orcher

## Production

The book was optioned by Nicholas Verso in 2020.
The series was announced as a commissioned series in 2023.
On 15 March 2024, it was announced that the series had begun production in Western Australia with the 10 part series filming in Geraldton, Western Australia. Created for television, written, and directed by Nicholas Verso alongside an impressive writing team including Enoch Mailangi, Walkley Award-winning writer Allan Clarke, and Artistic Director of Griffin Theatre, Declan Greene.
The series also filmed around Geraldton's Sunset Beach, Ocean Road Hotel, the foreshore and the Macedonian club where during filming local roads were closed to only local traffic.
The series contains some major changes to the book, particularly relating to Hammer and Matt's plotlines and moving the story to 2017 to feature the Australian same-sex marriage plebiscite. Hammer is now a First Nations character facing racism as well as his sexuality. Matt's storyline on the farm deviates significantly from the book. The female characters are also expanded and rewritten (Bec, Sabrina, Rochelle, Nadine, Karla), along with several new characters, including Aunty Doris and Ian Orcher.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Apps" | Nicholas Verso | Nicholas Verso | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 2 | "Webcam" | Nicholas Verso | Nicholas Verso | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 3 | "Drive In" | Nicholas Verso | Allan Clarke | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 4 | "Sauce" | Nicholas Verso | Holden Sheppard & Nicholas Verso | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 5 | "The Date" | Nicholas Verso | Enoch Mailangi | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 6 | "The Coming Out Ball" | Nicholas Verso | Enoch Mailangi | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 7 | "Country" | Nicholas Verso | Allan Clarke | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 8 | "Cake" | Nicholas Verso | Holden Sheppard & Nicholas Verso | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 9 | "Bees" | Nicholas Verso | Declan Greene | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |
| 10 | "Sunset" | Nicholas Verso | Nicholas Verso | 13 February 2025 (2025-2-13) |

## Release

On 23 January 2025, it was announced that all episodes would be released on Stan on 13 February 2025.

## Reception
### Critical response

Stephen A. Russell for ScreenHub describes Invisible Boys as a "gloriously messy marvel I wish I’d had access to as a tortured teen." In The Conversation, Damien O'Meara noted the significance of the "gritty" and "real" representations as carrying forward the traditions of Australian teen drama. He praises the series for standing against trends towards gay respectability politics, noting how "the horny gay teen isn’t hidden away in Invisible Boys – nor are his choices always comfortable."
The series does face some criticism for its engagement with experiences of trauma. Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen from Guardian Australia critiques ways Invisible Boys "begins to play into the cliche that queerness and relentless trauma go hand in hand, and veers close to trauma porn with a major plot event."