‘Like we’re both underneath the same sky, so… kind of together…’
The great thing about cinema is that there is always something new to get excited about. First-time writer-director Charlotte Wells brings us Aftersun – a meditation on adolescence, memory and father-daughter relationships. We also have the privilege of being introduced to Frankie Corio, the young co-lead who gives an astonishing performance in her first acting role…
Sophie (Corio) and her father Calum (Paul Mescal) enjoy a family beach holiday in which both of them learn something about the other. Sophie hangs around with older kids and longs to be older herself, while Calum reflects on a troubled past and tries to keep his daughter safe.
This type of family break will be familiar to anyone who has gone on a beach holiday with their family. Fanta lemon. Lounging by the pool. Water parks. All-inclusive wristbands. Karaoke. It’s all present and correct and beautifully rendered by Wells who has announced herself to the world of cinema in spectacular fashion with this poignant and assured debut. We never went abroad much when I was a kid, preferring instead the bright lights of Bridlington, but the holiday portrayed here is so vivid and authentic that it made me nostalgic for something that I never really had.
Coming-of-age is a complicated process and familial relationships are fraught with complexities too, Wells’ stirring script is warm and nuanced and it aches with a longing for a return to childhood. The Proustian rush of powerful memories and difficult emotions that the simple smell of seawater can inspire. The flashes of the past that sometimes invade our present with no warning or explanation. Aftersun perfectly captures that feeling and bottles it, anchored by a quietly heartbreaking turn from Mescal and a genuinely revelatory performance from Corio – an actor who surely has a bright future ahead of her.
Aftersun is about as good a debut as you will see anywhere this year. Watch it and allow Wells’ film to wash over you as it did me.