A new wave of Australian films, books, and plays is tackling the nation's housing crisis with brutal humour, highlighting intergenerational inequality. The film Birthright follows a millennial couple facing parenthood and homelessness, forced to move in with reluctant baby boomer parents. Director Zoe Pepper says the idea emerged during the pandemic as young Australians 'swallowed their pride' to return home.
Other works include Kill Your Boomers, a novel about a freelance writer au pairing for wealthy families, and The Housewarming, a play depicting a showdown between Gen Z with and without property. Pepper notes housing prices have nearly doubled in five years, calling the situation a 'Ponzi scheme.'
Author Fiona Wright, who wrote Kill Your Boomers, says the crisis is no longer a 'young people problem,' with professionals still sharing houses with strangers. In the book, the protagonist's parents own a home yet lecture her on living within her means while buying a Tesla. In Birthright, the father tells his son that hard work will be rewarded, but the son finds that recipe no longer works.
Inheritance emerges as a recurring theme in millennial fiction, such as Chosen Family (2025) and The Ruiners, where characters are saved or doomed by parental property. Publishers have not yet identified a broader trend, but the cultural response to the housing crisis is unmistakable.
