What really makes this special is that it primarily plays out from the perspective of Sophie, his daughter. With a child's mind, it's harder to notice the emotional triggers and mood changes, which would be a red flag to any adult. Aftersun is a 2022 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Charlotte Wells in her feature directorial debut. Starring Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, and Celia Rowlson-Hall, the film follows an 11-year-old Scottish girl onholidaywith her father at aTurkishresort on the eve of his 31st birthday. It doesn't even seem to be about very much for a while, just a melancholy story about a dad and his pre-teen daughter trying to enjoy a vacation at a run-down resort. But man, that ending comes along and wallops you, and you realize all at once that the movie is about so much, and that's it's been gradually revealing its layers to you all along. Paul Mescal on getting into the 'Dad' mindset while filming Aftersun". YouTube. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023 . Retrieved 11 January 2023. For the past few weeks, I've heard and read a lot about people's reactions to this film, and I have seen nothing but unhindered love and affection. I was worried, and the reason for my worry was not the sea of scepticism that swept through, but the overbearing expectations that slowly grew deep within my conscience. I was doubtful that the film would live up to it, but now that I've seen it, I can say with certainty that it did, and in ways I never assumed.

The performances from Corio and Mescal are adequate but don't quite make up for the shortcomings in the script. Corio can capture Sophie's innocence and confusion as she reflects on her father's past. Mescal can also bring a sense of sadness and regret to the role, which helps make the relationship between Sophie and her father more believable. a b Ramachandran, Naman (20 May 2022). "Charlotte Wells on Cannes Critics' Week Film 'Aftersun': 'I Got More and More of Myself Into Both Characters' ". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022 . Retrieved 23 May 2022. Aftersun review – luminous father-daughter drama starring Paul Mescal". The Guardian. 20 November 2022. Archived from the original on 20 November 2022 . Retrieved 16 January 2023.Sophie re-examines a vacation she had with her father some twenty years earlier using a video tape recorded by her father. Calum (Paul Mescal) is the father struggling with personal issues. Sophie (Frankie Corio) is the young girl enjoying her vacation with her father. She is unawares of her father's troubles.

Lattanzio, Ryan (24 May 2022). "A24 Buys Paul Mescal Cannes Drama 'Aftersun' for U.S., Canada (Exclusive)". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022 . Retrieved 24 May 2022. For example, on first viewing one wouldn't know the dark-haired woman dancing is the the adult Sophie, whose memories of a holiday with her father 22 years earlier make up the narrative. That dance montage recurs several times and at the end. On the last night of the Turkish holiday young Sophie declines her dad Colum's invitation to dance, but we see her adult version dancing and then the girl herself. Charactreristically, even when he's dancing with them he is dancing alone. Kids in films, particularly in lead roles, can often be very annoying. That isn't an issue here. Frankie Corio gives one of the most likeable child performances I can ever remember seeing. Her chemistry with Paul Mescal was amazing. I read that she wasn't privy to Mescal's solo scene rehearsals, so that she wasn't fully aware of what his character was going through, much the same as her character Sophie wasn't. That's brilliant.Dalton, Ben (30 September 2022). "UK-Ireland cinema release calendar: latest updates for 2022". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021 . Retrieved 1 October 2022.