Aftersun: On the red carpet with Paul Mescal, Charlotte Wells and Frankie Corio

Aftersun is the seemingly simple yet quietly powerful feature debut from Scottish director Charlotte Wells, capturing the bond between a father and his young daughter. Hazy summertime memories captured on camcorder and recalled by a now adult Sophie in flashbacks. Wells ingeniously pairs of-the-moment Normal People star Paul Mescal as Calum with new-to-screen Frankie Corio as Sophie, the two sharing an irrepressible chemistry that makes their characters seem incredibly lived-in and their interactions effortlessly naturalistic.

The satisfying heat of the sunshine, familiar smell of sun cream and freedom of endless lazy days on a package holiday resort ooze nostalgia from the screen. However, the sense of blissful innocence conveyed through childlike eyes is cleverly cut through with a growing dark undercurrent of unease and lack of understanding of all that is bubbling beneath the surface of Mescal’s charismatic character. It’s a delicately crafted, subtly daring film that, rather than shout about its underlying issues from the rooftops, gently creeps under their skin in a way that lingers in the mind like a childhood memory: at once intensely evocative yet elusive. With the help of a killer soundtrack, throwaway moments, glances and phrases are imbued with layers of meaning on repeated recollection, the yearning to return to them palpable. As delightful as it is devastating, there’s no wonder this study of fatherhood, memory and mental health is collecting awards and winning over audiences the world over.

The Upcoming had the chance to speak with the filmmaker and her stars during the London Film Festival. Mescal spoke about the appeal of playing a young, lost man who is his best self when with his daughter, the experience of being on the shoot alongside Corio, and perfecting his all-important dad dancing.

Wells gave us some insight into the inspiration behind the story, working with her incredible cast, and the importance of exploring men’s mental health with nuance on screen.

Sarah Bradbury

Aftersun is released nationwide on 18^th November 2022 and available on Mubi from 6^th January 2023. Read our five-star review here.

Watch the trailer for Aftersun here: