Aftersun (2022) dir. Charlotte Wells

After months of wishing that my local cinema would show anything other than Avatar or Cocaine Bear (no complaints about the latter), I was finally able to see Aftersun as Odeon decided it was worthy in the run-up to the Academy Awards — and I am eternally grateful that they did, because WOW, what a film. I completely agree with all the acclaim that has come its way and truly hope that Paul Mescal wins ‘Best Actor’ in his debut nomination at the Academy Awards.

Aftersun is a brutally sincere and thought-provoking examination of memories of loved ones and the shadows they cast later in life. The audience is transported back in time to a father-daughter holiday in Turkey and slowly it becomes apparent that these memories are the daughter’s — Sophie (Frankie Corio) — recollection of this holiday with her father, Calum (Paul Mescal).

From the outset, the on-screen chemistry between Mescal and Corio is very impressive with their relationship being as real and genuine as you could hope for — It was therefore no surprise to learn that Mescal and Corio went on an actual holiday of their own to enhance the authenticity of their relationship.

What I found so brilliant about this film was that it does not overtly tell you what to think or feel as the dialogue is very innocent for much of the film, as after all, it is centred around conversations between a 30-year-old and his pre-teen daughter. It is in these greater subtleties that the film excels as it lets you see the pain in throw-away glances and moments of privacy — as Calum desperately tries to protect and shield Sophie from his suffering.

Aftersun is shot with short and sharp scenes, mirroring the action of trying to piece together fragments of a distant memory, those memories you are old enough to remember but not quite old enough to understand or decipher. This concise and realistic portrayal of memory keeps the film devoid of any clunky exposition — even the premise that what we are watching takes place in the past, and that we are experiencing this memory through adult Sophie (Celia Rowlson), as she goes back over the grainy hand-shot footage from her father’s video camera from the holiday requires minimal to no dialogue. This efficient plot development leaves the implications and consequences to the audiences’ interpretation, allowing the holiday to provoke interesting questions about depression, parenting and loss.

Continuing in this vein, another smart decision from Wells was keeping the manner of Calum’s death unknown and unstated. This again pushes those memories and feelings front and centre, allowing them to take centre stage in the plot, removing any dread or building towards a big reveal or climactic moment.

Aftersun is a wonderful directorial debut from Wells and has us very excited about her future projects. A real tour-de-force in restraint and love, without heavy dialogue, Aftersun exposes us to the collision between Calum’s disappointment in himself and his ability to look after Sophie, and the genuine happiness and warmth she brings him. If we had to recommend any one film to be on your must-watch list, it would be this. Now let’s all cross our fingers and hope that Paul Mescal wins Best Actor later today!