Aftersun follows adult Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) as she looks back on a memorable holiday she shared with her father (Paul Mescal). As a child (Frankie Corio), Sophie was shielded from the true reality of who her father was and she now attempts to put together the puzzle pieces years later.
There isn’t much I can say about the movie plot wise as it is very straight forward. Some might think that the story of a father and daughter who go on holiday isn’t that interesting and to be honest, I wouldn’t blame them. But if you take a moment and really immerse yourself in what is unfolding on screen, I can guarantee that you will get so much more than you bargained for.
Yes, the relationship between Calum and Sophie is at the forefront here and it is important to address how raw and authentic I found it to be. Part of that was, of course, due to the incredible acting chops of Mescal who already proved himself in 2020’s Normal People. I knew he was special then and he once again showed that he is a force to be reckoned with. Corio, on the other hand, was so refreshing and delivered such a lovely performance. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a lot more of her in the years to come. Together they had an ease about them that was captivating all the way through.
I loved the way in which this was filmed. Integrating home video like footage made it seem so much more realistic amongst what was actually going on. I also liked the fact that we slowly saw the layers being pulled back as Calum’s depression is shown to the audience. I thought that was so different from anything I’d seen before and it worked perfectly.
Aftersun won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Some may find it too dragged out with not enough twists to drive the movie forward. But I understand why most have been hyping it up so much and I’m really glad that I finally had the chance to experience it for myself. It’s a special movie.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5
Credits Rolling 