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Aftersun

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Aftersun
Release poster
Directed byCharlotte Wells
Written byCharlotte Wells
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGregory Oke
Edited byBlair McClendon
Music byOliver Coates
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Mubi (United Kingdom)
  • A24 (United States)
Release dates
  • 21 May 2022 (2022-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 21 October 2022 (2022-10-21) (United States)
  • 18 November 2022 (2022-11-18) (United Kingdom)
Running time
101 minutes
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$9.7 million[1][2]

Aftersun is a 2022 semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Charlotte Wells in her feature directorial debut. Starring Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, and Celia Rowlson-Hall, the film is loosely based on Wells' childhood and follows an 11-year-old Scottish girl on holiday with her father at a Turkish resort on the eve of his 31st birthday.

Aftersun had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2022, where Wells was nominated for the Caméra d'Or. It was theatrically released in the United States on 21 October and in the United Kingdom on 18 November. The film received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised the direction, screenplay, cinematography, visuals, and performances of Corio and Mescal.

Aftersun received four nominations at the 76th BAFTA Awards, where Wells won for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.[3] Mescal was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 95th Academy Awards. The National Board of Review named Aftersun one of the best films of 2022[4] and Sight and Sound ranked it first on its list of the best films of 2022.[5] Since then, it has been cited as among the best films of the 2020s.[6][7][8]

Plot

[edit]

In the late 1990s, Scottish 11-year-old Sophie Patterson travels to a Turkish holiday resort with her 30-year-old father, Calum, who moved to London after separating amicably from her mother. Sophie records the holiday on a MiniDV camera, the footage of which is interspersed throughout the film. Over the course of the holiday, Sophie befriends and observes various English tourists at the resort, often meeting and playing arcade games with a boy named Michael. Calum exhibits signs of depression, anxiety, and internal turmoil, which he tries to hide from Sophie beneath a facade of contentment. During his time alone, he practices tai chi and reads self-help books; he also smokes, which he hides from Sophie.

One day, Sophie and Calum go scuba diving and she loses her expensive scuba mask; Calum feigns nonchalance, but Sophie senses his actual feelings, says she knows the mask was expensive and comforts him. Calum later tells their diving instructor that he is surprised he has lived to be 30. Soon after, Calum and Sophie go to a rug shop, where she sees him grapple with the cost of one he likes. He declines to buy the rug, but later returns alone and buys it.

The next night, Sophie and Calum attend a karaoke night and Sophie signs them up for a song. Calum refuses to sing with Sophie despite her insistence, and she sings "Losing My Religion" alone as Calum watches. Upset by being left alone by him, Sophie refuses to return to their room with him and hangs out with some other tourists she previously met playing billiards. Michael creeps up on Sophie from behind, frightening her. They later kiss beside a pool. Meanwhile, Calum goes to the beach and walks into the ocean. When Sophie returns to their room, she finds him asleep naked and gently covers him with a sheet.

The two reconcile the next day while travelling to the mud baths, and Calum apologises for his behaviour the previous night. Sophie surprises him by having other tourists sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" for his birthday. Calum watches stoically. He is shown sobbing in the hotel room alone, with letters that apologise to Sophie strewn across the floor.

On the last night of their holiday, Calum and Sophie dance to "Under Pressure" in a loving embrace. In the morning, at the airport, Calum waves goodbye and sends Sophie off on her flight home.

In the present day, the adult Sophie lives with her wife and young child. The rug Calum bought is next to their bed. Sophie watches the video footage from the holiday in Turkey.

Interspersed throughout the film are abstract, dreamlike sequences in which the adult Sophie stands in the middle of a crowded rave, catching glimpses of Calum dancing frantically through strobing lights. Throughout the sequences, Sophie attempts to get closer to him, eventually briefly embracing him; with their hands wrapped around each other, Calum ultimately falls from Sophie's grasp. In the final scene, Calum packs the videocamera away and walks down the airport hallway after having waved goodbye to Sophie, opening the doors to the rave.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Aftersun is director and writer Charlotte Wells' feature film debut. Calling it "emotionally autobiographical", she sought to delve into "a different period" in a relationship between a young parent and a daughter than what she explored in her 2015 debut short film Tuesday.[9] Frankie Corio was one of over 800 applicants before being cast.[9] Filming took place in Ölüdeniz, Turkey.[10] During the two-week rehearsal period Corio and Mescal spent time at a holiday resort in order to make their dynamic more authentic.[11]

Music

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Soundtrack

[edit]
  1. Mac Prindy - "High Hopes"
  2. The Lightning Seeds – "Lucky You"
  3. Los del Río – "Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)"
  4. Aqua - "My Oh My"
  5. Catatonia – "Road Rage"
  6. Blur - "Tender"
  7. Bran van 3000 - "Drinking in L.A."
  8. Deacon Blue – "Real Gone Kid"
  9. Steps - "5,6,7,8"
  10. R.E.M - "Losing My Religion"
  11. The Righteous Brothers - "Unchained Melody"
  12. Chumbawamba - "Tubthumping"
  13. The Paragons - "The Tide is High"
  14. All Saints - "Never Ever"
  15. Candan Erçetin - "Gamsiz Hayat"
  16. Queen and David Bowie - "Under Pressure"[12]

Score

[edit]

English composer Oliver Coates composed the film's original score.

Release

[edit]

The film premiered as part of Critics' Week during the 2022 Cannes Film Festival,[13] where it won a jury prize.[14] It screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival,[15] the Melbourne International Film Festival,[16] the Telluride Film Festival,[17] the Toronto International Film Festival,[18] the London Film Festival,[19] the New York Film Festival,[20] the New Hampshire Film Festival,[21] the Adelaide Film Festival,[22] and the Athens International Film Festival.[23]

Aftersun was distributed in Austria, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom by Mubi and in the United States and Canada by A24.[24][25] It was released in the United States on 21 October 2022 and in the United Kingdom on 18 November.[26][27] The film was released for video on demand in the United States on 20 December[28] and was made available to stream on Mubi on 5 January 2023 in countries where Mubi distributes the film.

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]
Paul Mescal received widespread critical praise for his role, receiving his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Aftersun holds an approval rating of 95% based on 244 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Led by Frankie Corio's tremendous performance, Aftersun deftly ushers audiences to the intersection between our memories of loved ones and who they really are."[29] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 95 out of 100 based on 46 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[30]

The New York Times critic A.O. Scott called the film "astonishing and devastating", writing that Wells was "very nearly reinventing the language of film, unlocking the medium's often dormant potential to disclose inner worlds of consciousness and feeling."[31] Screen Daily's Fionnuala Halligan wrote that Wells' "measured but relentless probing ... mark her out as one of the most promising new voices in British cinema in recent years".[32] Guy Lodge of Variety called the film "sensuous, sharply moving".[33] Carlos Aguilar of TheWrap praised Gregory Oke's "visually fluid" cinematography, saying it "evokes a radiant melancholia".[34] In Empire, Beth Webb called the film a "deftly orchestrated, empathetic and honest character study" and "A triumph of new British filmmaking."[35] In 2024, filmmaker Christopher Nolan said Aftersun is one of his favorite films, calling it "just a beautiful film".[36]

Several critics have pointed out the film's resonances with the work of Margaret Tait; as Mark Kermode of The Guardian writes, "There are also clear traces of the films of Margaret Tait in Wells's craft, specifically Blue Black Permanent (1992), which seems to have served as a tonal reference (a volume of Tait's writings is prominently displayed on screen)."[37] In an interview, Wells acknowledged Tait's impact on her, particularly Blue Black Permanent, saying, "It's a special film and it relates in many ways to what I was doing".[38] A copy of Tait's Poems, Stories and Writings lies between a tai chi manual and a self-help book in Calum's pile of holiday readings. Pat Brown of Slant Magazine called the film's "Under Pressure" sequence one of the best movie scenes of 2022, saying that it "brings to the surface what was kept simmering throughout: the searing pain of loss that's led Sophie to reflect on the past."[39]

In 2024, Collider ranked the film sixth on its list of the "30 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)," with Jeremy Urquhart calling it "a film about growing up and reinterpreting who your parents are or were, as people, once you're old enough to see the world how they might've seen it when you were just a kid. Any descriptions of what Aftersun is about - or what emotions it inspires - ultimately undersell it. One really has to watch it and engage with it to feel and understand exactly what it's going for." Far Out ranked the film 16th on its list of "The 21 Greatest Movies of the 21st Century", calling it "A poetic tale told with a marvelous understanding of cinematography" that "seems to define the contradictory contemporary world, where loneliness and detachment fester in a society that is technically more connected than ever".[6] Business Insider included it on its list of the "25 Best British Movies of the Last Ten Years".[40] IndieWire ranked a line spoken by Sophie ("I think it’s nice that we share the same sky") 10th on its list of the "22 Best Movie Quotes of 2022".[41]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Main article: List of accolades received by Aftersun

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Aftersun (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Aftersun (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Scots find success at this year's Bafta awards". The National. 20 February 2023. Archived from the original on 20 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  4. ^ "National Board of Review Announces 2022 Award Winners". 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  5. ^ "The 50 best films of 2022". 19 December 2022. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  6. ^ a b "The 21 greatest movies of the 21st century". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 5 March 2024.
  7. ^ Urquhart, Jeremy (31 December 2023). "The 30 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far), Ranked". Collider.
  8. ^ Ntim, Eammon Jacobs, Zac. "Here are the 25 best British movies of the last 10 years". Business Insider.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (20 May 2022). "Charlotte Wells on Cannes Critics' Week Film 'Aftersun': 'I Got More and More of Myself Into Both Characters'". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  10. ^ Smith, Anna (21 May 2022). "Cannes Review: Paul Mescal In Charlotte Wells' 'Aftersun'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Paul Mescal on getting into the 'Dad' mindset while filming Aftersun". YouTube. 16 November 2022. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Aftersun Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  13. ^ Grater, Tom (20 April 2022). "Cannes Critics' Week: Jesse Eisenberg's 'When You Finish Saving The World' To Open 2022 Selection". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  14. ^ Vlessing, Etan (25 May 2022). "Cannes: 'La Jauria' Tops Critics' Week Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (12 July 2022). "Charlotte Wells' Cannes Critics' Week Breakout 'Aftersun' To Open Edinburgh". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Aftersun". Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  17. ^ Jones, Marcus (5 September 2022). "Barry Jenkins Praises 'Aftersun' at Telluride: 'I'm a F*cking Wreck'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Aftersun". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Aftersun". BFI London Film Festival 2022. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  20. ^ "Main Slate". Film at Lincoln Center. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Aftersun". New Hampshire Film Festival. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  22. ^ "AFF announces the first 5 films for 2022". Adelaide Film Festival. 30 August 2022. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  23. ^ "AFTERSUN". AIFF • Athens International Film Festival. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  24. ^ Dalton, Ben (21 May 2022). "Mubi buys hot UK Cannes title 'Aftersun' starring Paul Mescal (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  25. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (24 May 2022). "A24 Buys Paul Mescal Cannes Drama 'Aftersun' for U.S., Canada (Exclusive)". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Fall Movie Calendar: From Blonde to Wakanda Forever". WHEC-TV. 30 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  27. ^ Dalton, Ben (30 September 2022). "UK-Ireland cinema release calendar: latest updates for 2022". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  28. ^ "Aftersun DVD Release Date". www.dvdsreleasedates.com. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Aftersun". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  30. ^ "Aftersun". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  31. ^ Scott, A. O. (20 October 2022). "'Aftersun' Review: A Father and Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  32. ^ Halligan, Fionnuala (21 May 2022). "'Aftersun': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  33. ^ Lodge, Guy (21 May 2022). "'Aftersun' Review: Paul Mescal's Charisma Powers a Summer Vacation Portrait That Isn't as Sunny as It Seems". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  34. ^ Aguilar, Carlos (21 May 2022). "'Aftersun' Film Review: Charlotte Wells Debuts With an Achingly Stirring Coming-of-Age Tale". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  35. ^ "Aftersun". Empire. 15 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  36. ^ "How Christopher Nolan Found Intimacy on a Grand Scale". 29 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Aftersun review – luminous father-daughter drama starring Paul Mescal". The Guardian. 20 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  38. ^ Daniels, Robert (17 October 2022). "Writing Inside Out: Charlotte Wells on Aftersun". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  39. ^ "The Best Film Scenes of 2022". Slant Magazine. 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  40. ^ Ntim, Eammon Jacobs, Zac. "Here are the 25 best British movies of the last 10 years". Business Insider.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ Foreman, Alison (31 December 2022). "The 22 Best Movie Quotes of 2022".
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