Aftersun - Movie Review

Critics Score - 7 of 10

General Audience Score - 5 of 10

The father/daughter relationship is something I cannot speak to with experience, as currently a father of two sons, my dream of walking a daughter down the isle one day is likely to go unfulfilled. But I can only imagine the sweat, blood and tears that could and do go into keeping a little girl safe and ready to take on the world when she comes of age. A few of the elements and nuances of raising a daughter in this day and age are addressed in the new A24 film from writer/director Charlotte Wells, Aftersun. This is an intimate character study about a father spending time with his pre-teen daughter over what we suppose to be her summer vacation. Charlotte wisely leaves many aspects of the story ambiguous, we’re simply here to spend time with a father and daughter as they snorkel, sunbathe and strengthen a fragile bond that so many mistakes in life are capable of loosening. It’s a heartwarming story that many lovers of cinema will enjoy but mainstream audiences will grow tired with after nothing of serious note happens through the first act, then the second, and finally the third. If you’re a father of a girl(s), I’ll bet you won’t make it through the runtime before shedding a tear, it almost got me. But what’s even sadder is, in the end, Aftersun is a delightful little film that many audiences won’t ever see or even hear about.

SYNOPSIS - This summer vacation kicks off with some home camcorder footage of a little girl, Sophie (Frankie Corio) recording her father Calum (Paul Mescal) in a hotel room as she asks him questions about himself. “Well, I am turning eleven. And you are a hundred thirty, turning a hundred and thirty one in two days.” She spins the handheld recorder around with a sheepish grin spreading across her round face. These two have some truly wonderful chemistry together that harkens us back to the uncle/nephew bonding experience from last year’s C’Mon C’Mon. But both Corio and Mescal are doing impressive work in their own right. For Corio, I wouldn’t be surprised if she makes some critics groups nominees for youth performances at the end of the year. Her character of the bubbly and inquisitive pre-teen that wants to know more, especially about things relating to her father, was such a delight to watch onscreen. She asks at the outset, “So, when you were eleven, what did you think you’d be doing now?” Mescal stands outside the patio door with his hands on his hips, defiantly smiling without saying anything before the video cuts. His portrayal of a troubled father who wants to do everything he can with his daughter in his limited time with her while simultaneously struggling with undisclosed personal issues was some really stunning work as well, even if no awards recognition will be coming his way.

As the film continues, we become privy to more and more of these two’s relationship dynamics as the vacation in the country of Turkey, of all places, keeps going. The daughter craving the caring fatherly figure in her life, the father reassuring his child that she can always talk to him about any of the parties she goes to, boys she dates, drugs she takes, he’ll be there for her to talk to, even though we know he won’t always be present. Aftersun was very touching and heartwarming, it almost made me cry, unexpectedly so, through a few of the final sequences. But by the finale, I could really see where this film works from an emotional beats perspective and why some critics are praising this film. But if you’re going to watch this over the upcoming holidays with family, or especially for a father/daughter movie night, you’ll need to keep a box of tissues handy. The direction on display is clever but not otherworldly, just a solid, intimate and touching portrayal, not only of fatherhood, but also of life and the struggles of navigating and working through parts of it where things just aren’t as we’d want them to be. As we watch someone struggling to be a good father, although not being able to be present for portions of a child’s life, due to circumstances or conditions that may possibly be out of his control, is it truly heart wrenching. Combine this with the generally happy, upbeat tone and many touching moments I’ve mentioned, and you get a double punch of emotions that can really be effective to leave some audiences reeling.

When it comes to the technicals of Aftersun, from writer/director Charlotte Wells, the screenplay is the real triumph of the film. Wells does some wonderful work at bringing some rather mundane moments from what may have been an average summer for many and giving them some real weight and power. The cinematography is decent, utilizing a few upside down shots that are intriguing and trying to give a few sequences some cinematic flair in an otherwise curious film. The editing fits into the same category, there are some periodic flashback/forward sequences inside a night club of some kind where the lights are flashing on and off that I found quite impressive, as they’re woven into the film. But the film manages to barely cross the hour and a half runtime, even then there are parts where the editing could’ve tightened things and this film could’ve been trimmed down to even an hour twenty for the sake of better pacing. The music is fine but standard, there’s actually really very little to comment on with many of the technicals, fine is the keyword. But what does excel is how Wells effectively captures these father and daughter relationship dynamics and puts us into their world. Not just for the sake of tugging at our heart strings, but of making us take a look at ourselves and thinking a little bit more about the time we have to spend with the ones we care about the most.

SUMMARY - This is a tiny film but one that’s full of heart, even if it doesn’t appear to have much to say. But the same seeming simplicity of it that will leave many general audiences in the taillights, is one of the aspects that will endear Aftersun to others. So give this movie a chance, it may just surprise you, after the lights come back on, at how this film keeps working it’s magic on your heart.