Aftersun 2022

Aftersun feels like a lighthearted, warm and simple father and daughter story. Lighthearted, warm, innocent. Sophie looks at her dad with pure wonder. Curious about relationships, intimacy, excited to grow up, asking questions with wide eyes. Pero habang tumatagal, may something off kay Calum. Hindi ko sya magets. Minsan playful, minsan distant. One moment he’s gentle, the next he shuts down the camera like he can’t bear being seen. Yung pagdura niya sa bathroom mirror was the first sign. Yung hindi pagsama sa pagkanta, the sudden mood drops, the long walks alone, even the scene where he goes home butt naked. Lahat yun tells you he’s wrestling with something he never says out loud. And that’s why those rave scenes visually hit differently. Those strobe lit insert shots where Sophie is reaching for Calum in the dark. It’s adult Sophie trying to find her father in her memory, reaching out, trying to pull him back from a darkness she didn’t notice when she was young. Nakakalungkot, pero ang poetic. Still, there are scenes of pure warmth between them. That moment when Sophie confesses about kissing Michael is so heart warming. She's so honest and open with her dad. Calum’s reaction is warm, kind, present. Everything builds up to Sophie's last hug. That scene makes me think that she wants to hold on to her dad once again. She clings to his memory like she's trying to go back in time. If I had one complaint, that would be the long shots that are way too long, I just want to skip it. But despite that, I’d still watch this again. I would definitely want to watch this again with a different perspective. Maybe next time focusing on Calum and understanding him a bit more because right now I was focused on the innocent eyes of Sophie.