There is a time in everyone’s life where you realize your parents are human as well. As you grow up, they do too. As a child, we are only concerned with our own experiences and emotions. When adulthood is reached, we discover our parents were navigating their lives the best they could.
“Aftersun,” directed by Charlotte Wells, explores this concept of how parents mask their emotions in front of their children, until sometimes it is too late.
Leads Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio portray the father and daughter duo Calum and Sophie who travel to a resort in Turkey for the young father’s upcoming birthday while coping with the recent divorce of Calum and Sophie’s mother. These early memories are shown through Sophie’s camcorder. Twenty years later, Sophie watches her videos back while trying to remember what happened on that vacation.
The incredibly emotional twist near the end of “Aftersun” leaves watchers stunned, and in horror, that such a light-hearted movie could take such a drastic turn. However, the signs were always there in plain sight.
Throughout the film, the emotional pain within Mescal’s character remains hidden to the people around him. The film brilliantly displays some of these moments outwardly to the viewer on the first watch, such as when Calum leaves to the sea at night with the intention of never returning.
Many of these moments are hidden to the viewer until the second watch, where you now have a clearer understanding of what Corio’s character, Sophie, was attempting to find. It is never outwardly stated in the movie, but she is searching for signs of why her father ended his life and if there was anything that she could have missed when she was younger.
The viewer’s second watch is intended to be exactly like this: where you start to realize small things Calum does that allude to his future intentions.
The film gives a clear and incredible message that the signs of someone’s feelings are not always visible. It is important to keep your loved ones close to you and continue to give your love and kindness to others.
“Aftersun” is a brilliant movie. It provides deeper commentary in an age where the film industry seems to be diluted by franchise movies where their only purpose is to make money rather than tell a meaningful story.
The film received much acclaim from critics throughout the awards season, eventually leading to a “Best Actor” Oscar nomination for Mescal at the 2023 Academy Awards. According to Deadline, this was Mescal’s first ever Oscar nomination at only the age of 26.
Despite being a great year for films, “Aftersun” still managed to shine brightly amongst the competition. “Aftersun” currently holds a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95 on Metacritic.
The Torch rates “Aftersun” a 9/10.
