Eschewing a family vacation in Geneva in favor of a sunny summer in suburban Brisbane, a high school senior intending to hunker down with his studies becomes hopelessly distracted by the beautiful best friend of his free-spirited aunt in writer/director Daniel Lapaine's adaptation of Nick Earls' best-selling novel 48 Shades of Brown. Sixteen year-old Daniel Bancroft (Richard Wilson) was all about the books when he moved in with his twenty-two year-old aunt Jacq (Robin McLeavy), but upon meeting her pretty housemate Naomi (Emma Lung) any chance for academic advancement is thrown instantly out the window. As Daniel does his best to balance his schoolwork with the strenuous weight of first love, his best friend Chris (Nick Donaldon) displays just how much effect raging hormones can have on an adolescent who lacks the discipline to stay focused on his studies.
~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide