Directed by:
Charlotte WellsScreenplay:
Charlotte WellsCinematography:
Gregory OkeComposer:
Oliver CoatesVOD (5)
Plots(1)
The stunning debut from Scottish writer-director Charlotte Wells, Aftersun juxtaposes a hopeful coming-of-age story with a poignant, intimate family portrait that leaves an indelible impression. At a fading vacation resort in the late 1990s, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie’s tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father, she knew with the man she didn’t, in Charlotte Wells’ superb and searingly emotional debut film. (MUBI)
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Reviews (5)
A rather peculiar and intimate drama that feels like a blend of film art and a family's homemade vacation video from Turkey. Not much happens throughout the film, until the final “Under Pressure” scene hits, leaving you in a whirlwind of thoughts with no easy way back. Sure, that scene is impactful, but getting there required quite a bit of patience. Paul Mescal and Francesca Corio do a good job portraying the father-daughter relationship. They definitely behave better as English tourists by the sea than most I've encountered in real life. The subtle emotions and nuances were challenging to grasp, and I found myself reflecting deeply to understand the seemingly mundane film’s underlying message. A classic festival piece.
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An unexpected blow that takes the form of all manner of reflections on melancholy. A grain field paused on a videotape, where everything is fine forever. This is a place to return to when things aren't going well, even though it means it will be even worse for a while, and the answer, whether it comes as realization or in a spark of hope or just in an important memory, will have to wait. I was expecting a sunny coming-of-age film, so it's difficult to explain the silence that fell over me when Charlotte Wells gave me exactly that, yet approached me from the other side at the same time.
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An observational film about fatherhood that offers a different insight into the father-daughter relationship, although it doesn't offer any complex plots. The VHS footage deepens the feelings of their relationship and ties in naturally to other storylines. A cool film that doesn't freeze and you take away a deep catharsis. "I think it's nice we share the same sky."
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To watch Aftersun, you have to be in the right frame of mind, as it is a rather moody film that moves at a somewhat slow – and therefore not attractive to all viewers – pace for most of its running time. I was lured to the screening by the premise and Paul Mescal's Oscar nomination. The acting is superb, no question about that, but the premise itself didn't grab me in the way I had hoped for before the screening. The mundane scenes alternate with oppressive visions (memories) that eventually culminate "under pressure", and while you know what emotions the director wanted to evoke in the viewer, I can't say I "bought" it. A festival downer that doesn't depress everyone.
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