AFTERSUN 12a

Aftersun has been one of the huge indie hits of the year - gathering great reviews and awards at all the big festivals, with actor Paul Mescal also getting a recent Oscar nomination.

Aftersun is the debut feature of writer and director Charlotte Wells and it feels very personal and hyper-real. The story sounds simple or even underwhelming - a father and daughter go on a package holiday in Turkey in the 1990s and we see the days unfold with little real action or drama. But there are hints of a darker truth underneath the surface, with use of flashbacks and flashforwards - and an air of mystery permeates. Both Mescal (who came to prominence in the BBC series Normal People) and newcomer Frankie Corio who plays his daughter, are excellent

In the Observer, Mark Kermode gave it a five star review: “A brilliantly assured and stylistically adventurous work, this beautifully understated yet emotionally riveting coming-of-age drama picks apart themes of love and loss in a manner so dextrous as to seem almost accidental. Don’t be fooled; Wells knows exactly what she’s doing, and her storytelling is as precise as it is piercing.”

Comments