Aftersun is a stunning film from Charlotte Wells, who tells the story of 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) and her father, Calum (Paul Mescal), who’s taken her on a vacation. Young Sophie doesn’t know it yet, but the trip away with her father will be the last time she ever sees him, as an adult version of her character reveals. The heartbreakingly beautiful story gives flashes of the present as Sophie remembers the hazy, warm days spent with her dad, who was hiding a much more complicated inner life than he revealed to his daughter, who was young enough not to grasp his struggles in full, but old enough to sense something was awry. Aftersun will linger with you long after it’s over, and the ending of the film is what truly sticks: Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” soundtracks a striking, haunting few minutes as Sophie and her dad share one last scene.
Photo: Everett Collection
