Anyone seen Aftersun?

Submitted by StellaT0105 t3_z5ib43 in movies

Such a beautiful movie that had so many subtle and nuanced messages behind it. As a British person it perfectly captured those resort holidays you'd go on as a child with your family, right down to the rep on the coach, the all inclusive wristbands, the entertainment etc. Felt I was reliving my youth.

Paul Mescal was brilliant in it as was the young girl playing Sophie. Such natural scenes between the two of them that it never felt like they were acting at all.

The scene of Callum sobbing on the bed was just so jarring to watch. I felt like he was in such inner turmoil within himself but was doing his best to cover it up... always moving onto the next activity...the tai chi...books to try and cure him of his illness...him saying he didn't think he'd make it to 40...the lack of care in his wellbeing with his broken wrist and almost getting hit by the bus. He really captured how much of depression is suffering in silence but doing your best to just keep going in the hope it'll get better but slowly losing hope when each day you feel worse and worse.

Sophie was a brilliant character as well. Such a natural actress and I loved the idea that as children we see our parents are superheroes and are oblivious to how much they can be struggling but we still pick up on subtle signs that all is not well beneath the surface.

Such a beautiful movie.

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so1i1oquy t1_ixwbl6w wrote

Handily the best film of the year. I hope it's not too small to be noticed this awards season.

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Jerrymoviefan3 t1_ixwvtfh wrote

It got five Independent Spirit nominations and probably will win Best First Feature and Best Breakthrough Performance.

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pollyfossil t1_ixwmb9w wrote

I was a total wreck after seeing it. It was so emotionally intense, but because the whole premise was that Callum was concealing any distress from his daughter and focusing on making it a great holiday for her, all my emotions remained suppressed and held in as well. It was such a different experience from watching a more conventional film that winds you up for a big emotional pay off It was fascinating but uncomfortable - I can't think of another film that made me feel that way.

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Lady_Disco_Sparkles t1_ixwc5up wrote

A friend of mine recommended it to me and I think it’s one of my favorite films of the year. The cinematography is wonderful and I liked how Charlotte Wells tells the story in such a natural and sensible way. It’s never overdone and the emotion just hits you like a ton of bricks (I was crying my eyes out during the end credits). I hope it opens even more doors in the future for Paul Mescal, he’s incredible in this movie. And Frankie Corio is a revelation ! A beautiful film, I loved it !

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Jerrymoviefan3 t1_ixww46d wrote

I love how the writer director combined her actual memories with I imagined scenes foreshadowing her father’s suicide five years later.

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RevivedHut425 t1_ixwo4yy wrote

I thought it was a well made movie, but as someone who doesn't have kids it didn't do very much for me. The main duo were excellent together, though.

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OpeningDealer1413 t1_ixyayh7 wrote

For me, it’s in a straight fight with The Banshees if Inisherin for the best film of the year. In 2022, with consumer habits as they are, for a new director to be brave enough to adopt the approach of ‘show, don’t tell’ really is refreshing to see. The whole way through I was welling up at the beauty of the struggling dad, Callum, and how clear his love for his daughter, Sophie, is portrayed. It’s also such a fresh idea for a story, a dad who had a daughter aged 19, now 11 years on approaching his 31st birthday, I’ve never seen that dynamic before in film. He’s clearly not with the mother; was he ever with her? Is Sophie the product of a one night stand as teenagers? Does he love Sophie’s mother? If so, to what extent? What news did he congratulate her for on the phone? Is she getting married? How does Callum feel about this? The film throws up so many fantastic questions without feeling the need to pander and throw you answers. We’re allowed to fill in the blanks. Also, Paul Mescal is 26 years old. Bloody hell. What a fantastic talent

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Ningy_WhoaWhoa t1_iy35qgh wrote

the scene where he walks in front of the bus is so well done because you may miss it if you're not paying attention but it definitely shows just how "in the weeds" he is with his depression. The whole movie wrecked me as I have 2 young daughters and struggled in the past with depression.

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fruitporridge t1_ixwkowe wrote

Its receiving alot of award buzz. I'm scared paul may snatch the best actor trophy from Brendan Fraser

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nayapapaya t1_ixwv0l2 wrote

It's not a big enough movie for that and he's not a name yet so people won't watch the movie just to see his performance. If he gets in (the bonus of a weaker field!), the nomination is the win for him. If someone else is challenging Fraser, it's Colin Farrell.

(Haven't seen the movie yet, OP.)

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xfortehlulz t1_ixwgwxd wrote

Yea I thought it was beautiful. I didn't love at as much as those putting it in the top of the year discussion partially because I found the whole strobe dancing sequence throughout pretty tacked on and obvious. The strength, imo, of the movie was the beauty in the realism. Every shot, every detail puts you in the moment and lets us feel very human emotions. Having this quasi artsy rave scene thrown in every once in a while felt like the movie didn't believe in its premise enough to me. Maybe on rewatch it won't bother me as much.

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