Film Snail

Aftersun
Aftersun

7.7

Aftersun

R·2022·101m

Summary

Sophie 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 miniDV footage as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Charlotte Wells

Reviews

Geronimo1967

Geronimo1967

October 26, 2022

7

"Calum" (Paul Mescal) and his daughter "Sophie" (Frankie Corio) head off for a holiday in Turkey. Initially their experience reminded me of "Carry on Abroad" (1972) with the usual building works and booking errors, but soon they settle into a comfortable poolside routine and we begin to learn a little about the dynamic between father and daughter. The occasional conversation with their absent mother tells us the parents are no longer together and a series of ongoing vacation activities paired with brief flashbacks from the adult "Sophie" help us to follow the young girl's attempts to get to know her father better - and he, her - as they relax in the sunshine. This features a strong and confident performance from the young Corio and there is an engaging familial dynamic here between the two. His character is protective but indulgent, her's independent and curious - and auteur Charlotte Wells allows their characterisations to develop for us in a well paced, considered fashion. Nothing really happens here - and yet so much does with their relationship and their respective maturity. It has a realism to it - there are no "jump" moments as such, it's about evolution and both have plenty of scope for that. I am not sure it really needs to be seen at a cinema, but it is certainly worth watching when it hits the smaller screen.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$7,834,405.00

Keywords

hotel
depression
karaoke
tourist
vacation
turkey
swimming pool
coming of age
memory
tai chi
family vacation
first kiss
teenage daughter
lgbt
semi autobiographical
video recorder
woman director
moody
rug
father daughter relationship
reminiscing
gay theme
bittersweet
admiring
adoring
queer loneliness