Aftersun is a coming-of-age story of Sophie (Frankie Corio as young Sophie and Celia Rowlson Hall as older Sophie) recounting the last holiday she took with her father, Calum (Paul Mescal), 20 years on. The film shows her and her father on that holiday while she navigates through the looming world of adolescence coming around the corner and the complicated relationship with her father, a man she loves and wishes to connect with. Switching between the camera the film was shot on, and then from Sophie’s POV on her handheld video camera, this gives the film so much character and gives an opportunity to switch the focus and in my opinion, makes it much more human and real. It feels like you’re there, on holiday with your parents and so many of the memories that Frankie are recounting feel so relatable and you can recall similar experiences as you watch the film.
Sophie’s father Calum is a very troubled man, and that is evident as we progress through the story. We see how hard it is for him to keep up with life and how difficult he has found it to adapt to fatherhood and although we never get any kind of diagnosis, we can see signs of him suffering from mental illness. That’s what makes his character so interesting to me, he isn’t perfect and he knows that and he doesn’t hide it. But he’s trying, he’s trying his hardest to be the best father he can be for his daughter. Seeing the story told from Sophie’s POV makes it so much more impactful, like you are spending time with your own father at a Turkish resort. There have been many theories circulating about what came of Calum after this holiday and why Sophie is recounting this memories, and the viewpoint I believe in the most is that Calum would’ve died sometime after that, either from suicide or a cause unrelated to any mental issues. Either way, I think it is clear that Sophie recounting these memories is a bitter-sweet experience for her, like she is remembering her father and despite the complicated nature of their relationship, she did love him very much.
Both of the lead actors, Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio were absolutely fantastic in their roles. Their chemistry together was electric and really added to the relatability and character of the film, and made me connect so much more with their characters. They did so well to the point that I forgot that they were acting, like they were a real father and daughter on a holiday in Turkey. Paul Mescal was especially brilliant for me, it was the first time I had seen him in a film and I was absolutely blown away. So much so that he is easily my Oscar contender for Best Actor in a Leading Role. There was just something about his performance, it felt so real and he made the emotional points of his performance look completely effortless. Frankie Corio as well was fantastic as Sophie, for it being her first major role in her career she was able to bounce off Paul Mescal incredibly well and perform on par with him. I found how she played Sophie particularly compelling as she was able to perform with the childlike innocence that we all had at the age of 11, and again she made it seem so real and like she wasn’t acting at all.
Everything about Aftersun is incredible. The performances, the depth of the story and the cinematography are all top notch and incredibly well done. For me, it is easily the best film of 2022 and one of my favourite films of all time. Charlotte Wells was phenomenal as a debut director and the dialogue was just so pure and like it was ripped right out of a real conversation. You connect with Sophie and Calum over the course of the film, and towards the end you really begin to feel the emotion and I couldn’t hold back my tears at the end when Calum walks away, likely being the last time Sophie ever saw him. Of course people will have their theories about what happened to him, but the ambiguity of the ending is what really hits home, you sit there wanting to know what happened to him but in a way, you also don’t want to know because you know that would just make you cry even more. Aftersun is beautiful, gripping, heartbreaking and every other adjective you can possibly think of. Truly brilliant.
By Anthony Myles
BFI Film Academy
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