'Aftersun' Review: Charlotte Wells' Reflective Father-Daughter A24 Drama is a Profound Debut
Aftersun
R: Some language and brief sexual material
Runtime: 1 Hour and 41 Minutes
Production Companies: BBC Film, British Film Institute, Screen Scotland, Tango Entertainment, Pastel Productions, Unified Theory
Distributor: A24
Director: Charlotte Wells
Writer: Charlotte Wells
Cast: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall
Release Date: October 21, 2022
In Theaters Only
At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) treasures rare times together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As the world of adolescence creeps into view, Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie's tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.
Navigating life as a child of divorce is one of the most difficult challenges a kid can face. Growing into adulthood increases one’s understanding of childhood experiences, but upon reflection, the lines between reality and nostalgia often blur. Veteran filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Kenneth Branagh have brought their childhood stories to life via rose-tinted glasses. Aftersun, on the other hand, has newcomer writer/director Charlotte Wells shattering those glasses with a harrowing and powerful debut that encapsulates the authenticity of childhood wonder.
Set during the mid-’90s, Calum and his 11-year-old daughter Sophie are on an intimate father-daughter holiday at a Turkish vacation resort. They have an itinerary of activities set for the week, from scuba diving to playing pool. Amid their activities, Sophie tries to understand her dad by sparking discussions, searching for comparable interests, and getting his viewpoint on life itself. Wells illustrates the vacation through Sophie's perspective and a digital camcorder, which plays an integral part in adding dimension to the story.
With Aftersun, Charlotte Wells finds equilibrium in examining the love and distance her leads share without deviating into cliched territories, like depicting the kid as rebellious or the father as abusive. Wells explores their emotional rift via their naturalistic dialogue and their day-to-day actions. One harrowing element is how Sophie’s innocent curiosity about her dad’s intellect results in him giving passive responses, often shutting her out. The bubbling tension between them rises with his passive behavior. It's a raw slow burn that people familiar with this dynamic can relate to. The patience of hanging out with an estranged parent retains an expiration date. There’s an overwhelming, claustrophobic atmosphere that juxtaposes the paradise-like setting.
As Sophie and Calum’s vacation slowly unravels, Wells ambitiously pulls the wool over your eyes, playing with time and space to add complexity to Sophie's reflection on this snapshot of her childhood. Her vérité direction makes you feel like a voyeur exploring this relationship, but the inclusion of an adult Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) takes you from voyeur to explorer. By the time Charlotte Wells delivers her climax, taking the crown for the best use of Queen/David Bowie’s "Under Pressure" in the process, the dream-like introspection of sentimentality stabs you in the chest. It left me in a puddle of tears.
Paul Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio deliver exemplary performances that elevate the quality of Well's ambitious portrait. The two Scottish performers portray an eerily natural representation of a father-daughter duo. Their chemistry carries the story and their camaraderie is phenomenal.
As the only Gen-Z person who hasn’t watched Paul Mescal’s debut in Normal People, I found him to be a remarkable performer. His charisma is heartwarming and hits close to home, but Mescal triumphs in masking his insecurities behind closed doors. The more time you spend with Calum and investigate his psyche, the more you learn that he’s playing a character, putting on a mask for his kid. He’s a mesmerizing portrait of a father with mental health issues who has to hide it from his innocent offspring.
Newcomer Frankie Corio left my jaw on the floor. She’s given many responsibilities in her debut performance, having to hold most of the emotional weight through subtle actions and dialogue. She exhibits an understanding of the emotional struggles that come with an estranged parent. Her childlike innocence and emotional toughness hit way too close to home at various points. The seeds of a child coming to terms with her dad's destiny are present throughout the latter half of the film and Corio captures that implicit realization with strength and subtlety.
Naturally deconstructing childhood nostalgia with a resounding rawness, Aftersun is a profound slice-of-drama that marks a compelling debut by writer/director Charlotte Wells. Brought to life by breathtaking performances from Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, this near-perfect reflection on the flaws of a parent is a heartbreaking yet sincere cinematic experience one should not miss.
