Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) and Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) have had their troubles in the past, and their lives have suffered as a result. While After was a story about finding love, After We Collided is a story of how heartbreaking love can be. After the events that transpired in the past, Tessa and Hardin are tasked with the difficulties of their lives. Both have things to work through, but neither know how. Can the two overcome their tragic relationship, or will the past haunt them forever?
There is division between who and what Tessa was in After versus what she is here in After We Collided. It’s clear that Anna Todd, Mario Celaya, and Roger Kumble wanted to see some development in this character between the first and second films, but there is such an immense difference that it almost feels as if Tessa then and Tessa now are two entirely different characters. There is a moment when Tessa is referred to as a “slut.” From that moment on it almost feels like viewers are meant to think this, as there are a series of instances where that idea is forced on those watching. While the terms “sexy” and “slutty” don’t go hand in hand, there seems to be a correlation between the two throughout the film. Somehow the goal throughout the course of the film became to make Tessa look sexy and irresistable. While she is certainly an attractive young lady, she is sometimes too overdone throughout After We Collide, and as a result those moments lose meaning.
After We Collided, from beginning to end, feels catty. The entire film struggles to find its footing and plays out like a high school drama. Tessa, Hardin, and every other supplementary character (maybe with the exception of Dylan Sprouse’s Trevor) is whiny and unappealing more than once. As the film plays out viewers struggle to find the same sense of pleasure and genuine emotion that After evoked, causing it to fall short of expectations. The intensity that both Tessa and Hardin presented viewers with in the first installment of this series escapes them here in After We Collided. I struggled to appreciate the characters this go around, and the inability for me to connect with them made the film just as difficult to appreciate.
Much of After We Collided feels irrelevant. There are shots of odd objects and people that should, based on their exposure, have something to do with the plot of the film. However, those things often fail to materialize into something of any significance. A great portion of After We Collided feels frumpy and out of place. There is a clear lack of cohesion. The scenes, camera angles, and tone all vary far too often, leaving viewers confused and unamused.
The absolute best part of the film is the song “Love Me or Leave Me” by Little Mix. The voices of Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Jesy Nelson are breathtaking. In the moments that the four are singing the viewers are transported to the world of emotion that was present through After, the one that After We Collided is missing. While this song, and their voices, are beautiful, it further highlights how many steps backward After We Collided has taken in comparison to its predecessor. I truly enjoy this song, but the fact that it sheds such a blinding light on After We Collided’s failures simply adds to the disappointment of the film as a whole.
I was pleasantly surprised by what After had to offer and was hoping that After We Collided would live up to the same standards. The reality is that so much in terms of tone changed that the two films hardly feel related. I don’t recommend watching After We Collided, however, I am going to give the film a somewhat favorable score. The one and only reason I am giving the film a positive score is because, ten to one, people watching this film are doing so because they enjoyed the first film. It feels slightly sacreligious not to watch the sequel to a film you’ve enjoyed, but that is the only reason to watch this film.
Directed by Roger Kumble.
Written by Anna Todd & Mario Celaya.
Starring Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Dylan Sprouse, Louise Lombard, Shane Paul McGhie, Candice King, Charlie Weber, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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