NZIFF 2025 Craccum Coverage | Lesbian Space Princess

Tapping into that Gen-Z type humour that has now grown up, raised on Regular Show, Adventure Time, and Steven Universe,  Lesbian Space Princess bursts at the seams with refreshing non-straight, non-white and non-male energy. Writer-directors Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs, give an overdue and much-needed shot of diversity and estrogen to the constellation of internet-era Aussie adult animations, which have been largely dominated by humorous but nonetheless testosterone-fueled works featuring predominantly (straight) white characters, such as the shows by Michael Cusack and Jarrad Wright.

In Lesbian Space Princess’ gay-laxy, feminine energy is safe from toxic masculinity until protagonist Princess Saira is broken up with by her bounty hunting ex, who is then kidnapped, and she is forced to rescue her from the clutches of the Straightwhitemaliens. The jokes and gender commentary were on point in Lesbian Space Princess and were my highlight. It was quite cathartic being called out for my own bullshit as a straight white male (what can I say, I love Daytona USA, a game that misogynistically starts with the line “Gentlemen, start your engines!”). I wish a lot of guys I know would be open-minded enough to go watch it because I think they would benefit from seeing the film’s alternative perspective on relationships and gender dynamics. Everyone of all genders and sexual orientations suffers in their romantic misadventures, contrary to the incel/misogynistic views that have had alarming uptake in young men recently.

Anyway, if you like funny animations, go watch it already if you haven’t, the theatre was in hysterics the whole time. To sign off my review, I hope Varghese and Hobbs stick to the medium of animation; they’re a creative force to be reckoned with and I eagerly await their next work.