Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun”

Aftersun (2022)

A poetic haze of memory perfectly executed in a subtle and affecting narrative of a father and daughter

Calum(Paul Mescal) and 11 year old Sophie(Frankie Corio) are on holiday in Turkey in the 90s, the last before Sophie returns to school the following week and before Sophie gets fully consumed by puberty. The film is so deftly managed from the absolutely natural and outstanding performances of Mescal and Corio, the pastel cinematography, the minimalist score to some terrific editing that it barely registers that what we’re watching is staged. Leaving the film feels like we’ve been on holiday with Calum and Sophie, and shared some intimate connection with them. It’s extraordinary.

Without spoiling, Wells’ uses quite a few tools from the filmmakers’ workbench and the entire experience maintains an uncanny sense of dread. There’s so much confidence on show here and as her feature length directorial debut, it bodes well for the future. I’m tempted to draw comparisons between Wells and Céline Sciamma but they’re each unique though both infuse their works with such sincerity that it’s natural and inevitable to surrender to their creations and live in the worlds they create.

Another stunning contribution to 2022’s already extraordinary roster of great cinema.