Aftersun
A daughter revisits a sunlit Turkish holiday to understand the depression and hidden sorrow behind her father's tender presence.
Overview
A poignant exploration of memory and loss unfolds as a daughter reflects on a cherished holiday with her father.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- wistful
- intimate
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a formally inventive, deeply empathetic portrait of memory, parental love, and concealed depression, led by extraordinary performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Adult Sophie reconstructs a childhood holiday through recollection, imagined images, and incomplete understanding of Calum.
The holiday is repeatedly filtered through the small videocamera Sophie and Calum use to record each other.
Calum's private melancholy and depression surface obliquely beneath his affectionate, practical interactions with Sophie.
Sophie enjoys the Turkey vacation while gradually sensing complexities in her father's adult life that she cannot yet name.
Films like Aftersun, and why
The Souvenir
shared intimate parent child drama, fragmented memory, and melancholic emotional restraint
The Quiet Girl
shared quiet observation, autobiographical feeling, and emotionally elusive family relationships
The Lost Daughter
shared vacation setting, adolescent perspective, and wistful examination of parental distance
20th Century Women
shared tender father daughter relationship, memory-driven structure, and bittersweet coming of age
Movie Details
- Director
- Charlotte Wells
- Release Date
- 2022-10-21
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (1992)
Cast
- Paul Mescal
- Frankie Corio
- Brooklyn Toulson
- Celia Rowlson-Hall
- Sally Messham
- Ayşe Parlak
- Sophia Lamanova
- Spike Fearn
- Harry Perdios
- Frank Corio
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Aftersun about?
- A daughter revisits a sunlit Turkish holiday to understand the depression and hidden sorrow behind her father's tender presence.
- What is Aftersun like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Aftersun as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Aftersun violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Aftersun.
- What did critics think of Aftersun?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a formally inventive, deeply empathetic portrait of memory, parental love, and concealed depression, led by extraordinary performances.
- Which films are like Aftersun?
- Films with a similar feel include The Souvenir, The Quiet Girl, The Lost Daughter, and 20th Century Women.
- How long is Aftersun?
- Aftersun runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Aftersun?
- In United States, Aftersun is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, Plex.
