Aftersun 4K 2022 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

Sophie recalls a vacation at a Turkish resort she spent with her dad in the 1990s, when she was 11 years old. The girl films her vacation, trying to get to know her father—who is divorced from her mother—better, while he tries to hide his depression from his daughter.

Review 4K Movie

In recent years, there have been a lot of movies that are, to some extent, autobiographical for their creators—from mainstream films like "The Fabelmans" to indie films like "Souvenir" or "The Mid-90s". Most often, these are simple stories about growing up or memorable moments in life, but I really like them. Of course, I haven’t seen all of them, but the ones I have seen were excellent. In general, nostalgia for childhood or youth isn’t new to cinema—such films appeared as far back as the ’80s—but they didn’t achieve this level of success. Unlike in literature, by the way, where authors were writing about themselves as far back as 200 years ago. But that’s not what this is about. Here we have Charlotte Wells’ "Aftersun", which is an extremely talented debut for her.

The story follows a father and daughter’s summer vacation in Turkey. The main character, Sophie, is 11 years old, and her father, Calum, is about to turn 31. The child’s carefree nature contrasts with the adult’s apathy and depression. For her, everything is just beginning, while for him, everything has already ended. Their dialogues are also interesting; in them, Sophie laughs as she tells her father that he can’t live like this, or asks why he still says “I love you” to his ex-wife. In her presence, he tries never to show his despair, and she doesn’t even give it a second thought.

Sophie is happy with him, and Calum is happy with her. But vacations don’t last forever, and she has to go back. When she leaves, there will be no happiness left in his life—a fact the film’s title, *Aftersun*, seems to hint at in the finale.
Sophie will return to Scotland, where there is no sun either—though for her, this is true in the literal sense. The sun will shine in the sky for her father, but his own personal sun will be gone. His life will once again sink into darkness, despite the bright Turkish sun that the cinematographer so often savors.
A summer like this may never happen again, as the film’s tagline and ending suggest. We don’t know if they saw each other after that vacation, but by all accounts, they didn’t. Even years later, when Sophie has a family of her own, she’s still looking for her father in every man she meets.

A brilliant film that leaves plenty to ponder. It might seem like an ordinary story, but just look how interesting, vivid, and tragically it’s portrayed! Just a couple of days together for a father and daughter—and the filmmakers make you feel it fully, as if these were your own memories. The characters come across as so lifelike thanks to the actors’ superb performances that it’s sometimes hard to believe we’re not watching documentary footage.

I read a review claiming that the film only works if the viewer has had a similar experience. Not at all—I didn’t have anything like that in my childhood, but I was able to fully immerse myself in the drama. All recent films on a similar theme fall far short of *Aftersun*, if only because they simply tell a story, whereas here we’re made to “live through” it all—which is why, by the end, everything feels so familiar and warm. And personal experience has nothing to do with it—it’s all about talent.

Paul Mescal, without a single word—using only his eyes and emotions—conveys such a deep longing in his character that you believe him without a doubt. And that’s an extremely difficult task! He handled it brilliantly, for which he deserves numerous awards and, I hope, a brilliant career in the future.

Frankie Cori, despite her young age, outshines even many established actresses. You believe in her, you empathize with her—she’s perfectly immersed herself in the role. I also hope for a brilliant future for her, because we’re looking at a young star in the making. Their chemistry with Paul is stunning—there’s nothing forced about it; everything looks as realistic as possible, as if they were actually a father and daughter.

A wonderful drama and one of the best films of the year, which deserves far more awards. As you watch, you’re completely immersed in the story, which will ultimately break your heart. Bravo!