Review of Aftersun (2022) by Jluis_001 — 23 Dec 2022

I applaud the naturalness with which the performances register the events unfolding on screen, because this was crucial to how this film worked.

Not because of the chemistry of the characters, but because they kept you focused on moving forward with the story, since at the end of the day, all we are watching is the vacation of a father and daughter that, without much conflict in between, would make you wonder more than once what was the point of watching it.

And that clashes with the enormous ambiguity of its plot, which is a double-edged sword, because one way or another, the film will have a very different resonance depending on the viewer and I think it will impact much more those who feel identified, which is not bad, but at least I see it within the overall perspective of its drama, and Aftersun is nothing more than a reconstruction of memories and how they tend to be manipulated by our own mind and we have the idea that something that happened at the time was nicer than it really was, and it is that when you face them with a different age and a different experience you understand perfectly well what it was, or in many cases you don't. That's why I think its conclusion is the part that left the most lasting impression on a large part of the audience.

A very enjoyable film, but I don't think it's worthy of the mark it's making.