Tessa (Josephine Langford) just began her freshman year of college. The world she comes from consists of her boyfriend, Noah (Dylan Arnold), mother, Carol (Selma Blair), and a dedication to her education and future. After she arrives at college for her first day and meets her roommate, Steph (Khadijha Red Thunder), and her friend Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) things change forever. She begins to question herself more than ever before, and what she’s known to be true may not be so much anymore. While her life has changed drastically, it’s possible that Tessa is better for it.
College changes people, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. This time in a person’s life provides them the opportunity to start fresh, redefine who they are, and find their way in the world. It’s clear throughout After that Tessa is well aware of this and has decided that changes need to be made. The changes that occur throughout After are immense, and while they may be immeasurable, the meaning behind everything that occurs is brilliant. Sure, Jenny Gage’s film is very much about love and loss, but I believe the most important aspect of what is present is the idea of change, and finding out who you really are in this difficult world.
After, for all intents and purposes, is a chick flick. It’s void of the usual dull comedy, however, and this is truly refreshing. I can’t remember a time throughout the course of the film when anything was purposely funny, and, again, this choice is beautiful because it allows viewers to appreciate the intensity of everything that transpires on Tessa’s journey. As is true of nearly every chick flick, After focuses on a somewhat troubled relationship that is meant to reflect viewers’ reality. Viewers are expected to connect with what is being said throughout, and I believe that Langford and Tiffin do an acceptable job of conveying emotion and making the film believable. While I don’t think they're perfect, it seems that they possess the ability to, together, carry a film. There is a chemistry between the two that resonates with viewers and allows them to accept the things happening as reality.
The lucidity of the film is what allows everything to work so well. The dynamic between Tessa and Hardin is challenging from time to time. However, in general, their relationship, whatever form it takes, is one that viewers are able to understand clearly. Due to the fact that the majority of the story is so easily understood, viewers are able to look deeper into the film’s meaning and enjoy that idea of change. This might sound horrible, but, at the end of the day, the story of Tessa and Hardin doesn’t mean much to me. Whether or not they end up together doesn’t dictate how well I’m able to appreciate what is being said. Their relationship, again, regardless of how it plays out, signifies and represents that overarching theme of change. It’s clear that in the final act of After both characters have become different than what they were in the beginning. The difference in who they were versus who they’ve become echoes loudly and audiences appreciate the importance of this sentiment.
After is far deeper than I had ever expected it to be. It touches on a topic that everyone must deal with at some point in their lives and provides them with a sense of hope that may stick with them for a long time. Sure, there are aspects of After that are juvenile or simplistic, but that can be expected from a film where two teens are the center of attention. That simplicity does afford viewers the ability to better appreciate the theme of the film, however. Anna Todd (who wrote the novel of the same name) and the group of individuals credited with adapting it into a screenplay understand the role that change plays in life and the importance of it as well. The sentiments present throughout After are well received by viewers and provide them some clarity when things are said and done. Given Langford and Tiffin’s performances, the simplicity of the story, and the connection I was able to make with the meaningful message, I am prepared and excited for the next installment in the After franchise, After We Collide.
Directed by Jenny Gage.
Written by Susan McMartin, Tamara Chestna, Jenny Gage, Tom Betterton, & Anna Todd.
Starring Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Khadijha Red Thunder, Dylan Arnold, Shane Paul McGhie, Selma Blair, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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