'Normal People' heartthrob Paul Mescal will break your heart again in 'Aftersun' — and this time he's a hot dad

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'Normal People' heartthrob Paul Mescal will break your heart again in 'Aftersun' — and this time he's a hot dad
Paul Mescal in "Aftersun."A24/Sarah Makharine
  • Paul Mescal stars as a depressed dad in "Aftersun."
  • The film debuted to widespread acclaim at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
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Nothing much happens during "Aftersun," the breakout hit of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and yet every small moment counts in its sleek and playful 90-minute runtime.

The film follows Scottish divorced dad Callum (Paul Mescal) and his young daughter, Sophie (newcomer Francesca Corio), on their quiet summer holiday at a budget Turkish resort. Set sometime in the 1990s, the pair goof around the resort indulging in cheesy, wholesome fun.

Callum is an astute and caring father. He asks his daughter how she's feeling and seems to care how she answers. He genuinely enjoys spending time with his kid. But there's a clear sadness to Callum that can be felt in the way he walks and talks. He also has an odd habit of promising Sophie things that he clearly cannot afford.

Then, one night, unable to handle the social demands of his environment, Callum disappears into the night leaving Sophie stranded.

These moments are shown through the flashbacks and nightmares of a much older Sophie, who is now a filmmaker living in New York City. Sophie's memories are frequently shown alongside inserts of holiday footage that she captured on a camcorder. The old grainy footage helps to reveal new details about the pair, as well as the future that is ahead of them. The film's brilliant third act suggests their holiday is the beginning of the end of their relationship.

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Below its simmering tension, "Aftersun" is a story about childhood memories and how they evolve and change shape in our minds, as well as the ways in which memories inform the way we live and love in the present.

The film is a remarkable debut by Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells, who writes and directs. Wells possesses an acute ability to capture mood and moment without laboring a point or forcing the pace of a scene. Instead, "Aftersun" unfurls in a way that is both natural and breezy, yet deeply haunting, similar to the work of modern masters like Lucrecia Martel and Eliza Hittman.

Paul Mescal is excellent as Callum. He is perfect on every beat, showing a range of subtle but profound emotions through movement rather than dialogue. He also nails a Scottish accent. Mescal is matched by Corio, who is energetic and charming in her big-screen debut.

The film boasts "Moonlight" director Barry Jenkins as a producer, and earlier this week, Variety reported that the film has been snapped up by A24 for distribution in the US. The popular art-house streaming service MUBI is handling distribution in the UK.

Hopefully, together, they can plant the film on as many screens as possible because "Aftersun" is a debut that deserves to be seen.

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Grade: A+

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