Written And Directed by Charlotte Wells
Sophie (to Calum): "When you were 11, what did you think you would be doing now?"
With a certain awards ceremony next month, I decided to go back and look back at something from a few years ago that I missed out on. That would be this particular film.
Told in a fairly mixed up format, this movie focused on a young father named Calum Patterson (Paul Mescal) and his young daughter, Sophie (Frankie Corio) taking a vacation to Turkey in order to reconnect with each other.
Throughout the film, you see the pair at a tourist resort interacting with some of the locals, doing activities such as scuba diving and mud baths while also getting to know each other a bit better than before. Mentions of other family members, particularly Sophie's mother do happen quite a bit, including a phone both Sophie and Calum have with her.
Calum as a father does come across as someone who's eager to be there for Sophie and he does often let her do her own thing, including hanging out with slightly older kids and not reacting badly when she admitted to having her first kiss with a boy her age. It's also made clear that Calum did suffer from depression.
Sophie herself did seem very eager to also connect with her father and she's savvy enough to see through some of Calum's bluster and gently call him out on it. The reveal at the end of a much older version of the character (Celia Rowlson-Hall) with her own wife and child was a little unexpected.
The back and forth between Calum and Sophie as they spent more time with each other was gripping. There's some great scenes in a rave, especially with Calum that are gorgeously shot. Not to mention his comments about living past 30 were rather haunting as well.
- It's an emotionally autobiographical movie from writer/director, Charlotte Wells.
- Both Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio had a two week rehearsal before filming. Mescal's Scottish accent was pretty on point.
- Standout music: Losing My Religion, Drinking In LA, For He's A Jolly Good Fellow and Under Pressure.
- Chronology: Calum turned 31 during the holiday and I think Sophie was around that age when we met the older version of the character. She was 11 for the majority of the movie. Took place in Ölüdeniz, Turkey.
Aftersun reeled me in with two exceptional performances from both Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio. They're absolutely amazing together and Wells's direction and writing brought out the best for both actors. This was an incredible movie.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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