Aftersun

An unexpected blow that takes the form of all manner of reflections on melancholy. A grain field paused on a videotape, where everything is fine forever. This is a place to return to when things aren't going well, even though it means it will be even worse for a while, and the answer, whether it comes as realization or in a spark of hope or just in an important memory, will have to wait. I was expecting a sunny coming-of-age film, so it's difficult to explain the silence that fell over me when Charlotte Wells gave me exactly that, yet approached me from the other side at the same time. (14/06/2023)

An observational film about fatherhood that offers a different insight into the father-daughter relationship, although it doesn't offer any complex plots. The VHS footage deepens the feelings of their relationship and ties in naturally to other storylines. A cool film that doesn't freeze and you take away a deep catharsis. "I think it's nice we share the same sky." (18/05/2023)

To watch Aftersun, you have to be in the right frame of mind, as it is a rather moody film that moves at a somewhat slow – and therefore not attractive to all viewers – pace for most of its running time. I was lured to the screening by the premise and Paul Mescal's Oscar nomination. The acting is superb, no question about that, but the premise itself didn't grab me in the way I had hoped for before the screening. The mundane scenes alternate with oppressive visions (memories) that eventually culminate "under pressure", and while you know what emotions the director wanted to evoke in the viewer, I can't say I "bought" it. A festival downer that doesn't depress everyone. (08/06/2023)