Aftersun movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Aftersun

This dramatic movie is now available to stream online.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 42 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B+

IN A NUTSHELL:

Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined, filling the gaps between them as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

It was written and directed by Charlotte Wells.

THINGS I LIKED:

This is one of those artsy-fartsy, coming-of-age movies that definitely flew under the radar for most people. Critics adore it, while “regular” audiences are not as impressed. Some people will absolutely love it and call it brilliant, while others will dismiss it because “nothing happens.” Instead, the film paints a very subtle story that is softly layered with meaning.
This is Frankie Corio’s acting debut. The director auditioned over 800 girls before she settled on Frankie!
The film takes a fascinating and gentle look at our selective memories.
The musical score is powerful.
The messages, both visual and spoken, are extremely subtle, making them even more powerful.
Ultimately, the movie is an onion…it has so many layers.
I’m envious of the girl in the movie because, as a daughter with 3 other siblings in my family, I never got that much alone time with my father.
The camerawork is creative, making you examine what you’re seeing and not seeing.
I liked that the father took time to teach his daughter a few self-defense moves.
Ultimately, it’s really sweet that a single dad would take his time and money to spend that much one-on-one time with his daughter. It’s also sweet that he gave her the bigger bed in the hotel room during their trip and was there whenever she had questions or was ready to make memories.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s interesting to see how the director chooses to spend time and where he decides to linger. I would have made some different choices.
A lot of the dialogue is muffled, making it difficult to hear what’s being said.
Some odd editing moments but some really interesting camerawork.
I can’t stand shaky cam. So many frames fly by so fast that I got dizzy, especially in the beginning.
The screen goes dark often. There are some night scenes that use a strobe light effect. I had a hard time seeing what was happening.
Some viewers won’t appreciate the slow burn and wonder when something is going to “happen.”
The film style includes a technique that looks like home movies, which some viewers might not like.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Some profanity, including an F-bomb spoken by a young girl. A young man drops an F-bomb around the young daughter and then immediately apologizes.
A girl sees and hears something sexual through a keyhole to another family’s hotel door.
Homosexual and heterosexual kissing
Hookah uses are seen. The daughter asks what that’s all about.