Directed By Charlotte Wells

Starring – Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall

The Plot – Sophie (Corio) reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

Rated R for some adult language and brief sexual material

Aftersun | Official Trailer HD | A24 – YouTube

POSITIVES

In one of the biggest cinematic surprises of the year, first time director Charlotte Wells has constructed a film that is every bit pungently profound as it is stylistically immersive, leading to one powerful statement that will inevitably cement her as a name to watch for future projects. Thematically, “Aftersun” is very much about the idea of dual identities in the confines of parent and child, with the necessity of the former being one specific thing to the latter, and the crumbling reality of the truth that eventually seeps into the knowledge that comes with age. However, visually, the film feels like a collection of memories being brought to life through a combination of handheld camera schemes, with intimate photography vividly conveying the unspeakable chemistry between father and daughter, but also the technical prowess of the experimental editing, with all of its spontaneity cementing value to scenes and sequences that are often referred to as downtime in other films, but here elicits a greater focus on the bond between our protagonists that shine seamlessly during the character building moments that are easy to get lost in. Part of this quality certainly stems from the appeal of the dialogue, which is elicited earnestly with an almost effortless and intentionally directionless approach between them, leading to materialized commentary that echoes its way to an evolving impact somewhere later in the film, but for my money the bigger emphasis is in the dynamic between the depicted father and daughter, which warms its way into our heart with a nuanced quality that inspires you to hang onto their every word or meaningful interaction. Because of such, “Aftersun” often has that feeling of summer, and not wanting it to end, reflecting in us the feelings of the characters with the fear of inevitability of life and responsibilities finding its way into the eventual conclusion of their getaway paradise. While the film clocks in at 97 minutes, which can feel taxing to some with its narrative refusing to form until the final thirty minutes or so, the warmth from the experience often had me yearning for more experiences between them, valuing the entertainment factor in their dynamic every bit as much as the informative quality that as previously mentioned, finds its way to the experience with deep-rooted messaging and character psychologies that you can take abstraction from, based on your own nostalgic past. Equal credit is also paid to the tremendous merit of the performances, especially from Frankie Corio, who easily fills the quota of my one child actor or actress who I nominate for an Oscar each year. As Sophie, Frankie conveys charisma and quick-witted intelligence without feeling downright precocious in a meandering or obvious kind of quality, and when combined to the depth she supplants to her commitment to dialogue garnering a deep-seeded effectiveness that she doesn’t fully realize because of her age, solidifies a captivating emphasis that is decades ahead of her twelve years. Paul Mescal, while not as young as his dazzling co-star, charms in his own conductive presence, exuberating an internal longing and melancholy to Calum’s surface level cool that all but illustrates the displacement from within him that we capably feel without downright exploiting. The chemistry between these two is not only believable in the way they bounce off of one another, but also the most pivotal vessel that capably and consistently steers the ship, establishing the bond between father and daughter as one that is poetically romantic, but not for the aspects often associated with the definition.

NEGATIVES

While nothing terribly traumatic to the integrity of the narrative, the third act brings forth a fast-forwarding in the years to the setting that I wish was explored a little more thoroughly in the confines of seeing Sophie, now older, on the other side of the parental dynamic. Once again, Wells’ direction visually entrances us, this time with a strobe-seducing dance sequence that in execution feels like the exact opposite of the warm and lively textures of visual storytelling that we associated with Sophie’s childhood, but unfortunately, it’s only conveyed on a visual spectrum, and never with the same time or patience of the first two acts, with very few words of exploration or screen time to render it as immersive. This leads to an ending and corresponding climax that are a bit anticlimactic considering where the script was heading to that moment, and while I understand the sentiment with Sophie’s own newfound awareness instilling within her an appreciation for the difficulties of her father that she could’ve never interpreted with the energy and exhilaration of childhood, the abrupt credits roll is a bit disappointing, especially considering this is easily one of my favorite films of the year. For my money, I wish they took an extra fifteen or twenty minutes to explore Sophie’s current day scenario, and how it plays into the way she looks back with longing on the days that felt like they would last forever.

OVERALL
“Aftersun” is an intimately warm and strikingly emotional portrait of innocence, but in particular an experience-based dissection on the dual identities associated with parenthood that we as children only experience when the walls of protection come tumbling down. In her debut directing effort, Wells has crafted an honestly tender and nuanced portrait of a daughter’s search for the father she barely knew, with a handheld time machine of memories at her lead’s disposal that she embraces with the longing and pain most commonly associated with nostalgia.

My Grade: 9/10 or A