Director Charlotte Wells' feature film debut really floored me. There is a sense of danger in the air throughout the entire runtime, so you always have the feeling of an impending catastrophe. This ensures that the very leisurely pace of the story never causes boredom. At its core, "Aftersun" is about a young woman who remembers a summer vacation she spent with her father when she was eleven. And it's obvious that she has something to process. The memories themselves are very warm and happy. But at the same time, they are shot with such an intangible sense of sadness that you don't even know what to feel anymore.

The film is carried by the two fantastic lead actors, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio. They have great chemistry with each other and are both very good at conveying their feelings with few words. The look of the film is also impressive. Wells uses camcorder footage in a few places, giving it the feel of a vacation video mixed with memories. Furthermore, everything appears to be very authentic. Both the main characters' relationship and the hotel and other hotel guests feel real. I am sure that some viewers will look differently at their own childhood vacations after watching the movie. Last but not least, I have to praise the choice of music. It plays an important role in two places, and especially the song at the end is a real eye-opener.

I will certainly watch "Aftersun" many more times. For me, it is clearly one of the best and most emotional movies of 2022.

Aftersun is a beautifully shot simplistic picture about the relationship between a young father and her daughter during their trip to a resort in Turkey.

While nothing seemingly happens during this trip, we are shown two perspectives of the father. One, as seen by his daughter, of a normal man, funny, loving and having a good time with her.

But we see glimpses of the father throughout the film, as someone who is not satisfied, he seems to be struggling with depression, hasn't found what he wants to do in life, is having some financial problems and looks like he had a very unhappy upbringing. He's probably been depressed for a very long time as there is a scene where he is speaking to the scuba instructor and says that he didn't think he'd ever make it to 30 and expects not to reach 40 years of age.

Peppered throughout the film are also scenes of the daughter, older, watching the footage of this trip in her home.

The final scenes are lovely, as they show the pair dancing to the tune of "Under Pressure" on their last night in Turkey and their goodbye at the airport.

The film ends in the goodbye and it seems to be heavily implied that they never see eachother again as the father likely commited suicide not long after.

A bit slow at times but wonderfully acted and written, the father's depression is shown in a very subtle and relatable way and the final scenes are quite strong. 7/10.

Incredibly beautiful.
I feel like this is what by Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere" aspired to be.

I love the type of slowness depicted: not done out of virtuosism for its own sake, but leaning in on the small, apparently insignificant moments like smoking in a balcony or washing hands - it was done beautifully, in a very personal way that allows you to _stay_ with the character for that second longer that allows you to really see him/her and what they're feeling. Or having that moment for you to fully experience your emotions as well.
So often a character is created through a sum of events and actions and words said, cut after cut - whilst you can learn so much from the silences! Such underrated empathic tool.
As much so as the camera focusing on the character itself (or some body parts: I loved Celine Sciamma's glance on hands in "Portrait of a Lady on fire" for example) as they're performing an action - focused, reading through them the emotions they're feeling rather than by showing the action itself. The bike videogame and the interview were brilliant instances.

The part I was astounded by, tho, was the mastery in showing how important a bond can be in making you pull out a better version of yourself you didn't even expect to be there: [spoiler] when Sophie says "happy birthday" on the bus, it's such a simple act and yet the pinnacle of many small ones that remind Calum of what's really life for[/spoiler].
As a personal note: never underestimate how you can affect loved ones, with a caring word of gesture or by simply being there

Such a movie needs a proper walk home after the cinema to let you thoroughly grasp the feelings it conveyed

_This Should Have Been a Short Film_ - they could've cut at least one hour and we would still get the same message.

I wanted to love it, but got literally nothing out of this film. After all the raving reviews it got I was so let down. This movie is trying so hard to be profound but sometimes less is too little.

I absolutely appreciate the artistry (visuals are pretty good), performances, and subtle storytelling in this film, but I was struggling to stay engaged. These movies are tricky because you either get into it and spend 1.5 hours very peacefully or you get incredibly bored. Sadly, I felt absolutely nothing except boredom. I feel completely empty after watching this and quite surprised at the reactions that people have towards this one.

The pacing is incredibly slow, almost static. It pretends to be interesting by using human characters that are struggling through mental health, and I think people are projecting onto it much more than what the movie actually has. But stories require characters development (we know next to nothing about Callum's past, we also know next to nothing about adult Sophie other than the fact that she is a lesbian and has a newborn child, so I couldn’t connect emotionally to them or their relationship), or at the very least a fresh perspective or poignant commentary, none of which is here in this predictable and aimless movie. It felt like one of the stories you skip over when you're just trying to get to a recipe for chicken soup.

I really understand what's the meaning (adult Sophie reflecting on 30 year old dad and 11 year old Sophie on summer holiday and all of the emotions that could entail), but it didn't worked for me how I thought would be. I don't mind a film where nothing happens, but honestly nothing happens, this was a slow burn with no direction and no revelation. The movie doesn't want to entertain you. It's equivalent to watching someone's vacation slideshow and then expecting you to feel what they felt.

The last shot, however, was stunning but it wasn't enough to redeem the film for me. I'm not arguing that this is a bad movie, and I'm in the minority, so clearly I missed something but it is what it is. People with daddy issues will love this film though.

Aftersun is one of those films that wants to remind you of how precious time spent with one's family is. In the film we see the relationship between a father and his daughter, who spend a vacation at a resort. Yes, it is a mundane and simple plot, but it is told in such a beautiful way. Seeing the father taking care of his daughter (and vice versa), seeing the two of them happily spending good times, made me smile throughout the film.

All opposed with scenes in which we see, in my interpretation, the father's depression, the unreadiness to have a daughter at such a young age for him. But despite everything, what matters most to him is seeing her smile, and that made me emotional.

Various scenes brought tears to my eyes, especially the final shot, when we realize that the two of them, after the vacation, never saw each other again, and all that was left for the daughter of her dead father were the recordings they made (my guess, the father committed suicide because of the weight of too much responsibility, perhaps? I don't know).

Incredible film, incredible debut by Charlotte Wells, catch it up.

9/10