Paul Mescal is known for his heart-wrenching performances, whether it was as Connell Waldron in Normal People or William Shakespeare in Hamnet, but one of his best moments was in the 2022 film, Aftersun.
The film, which was director Charlotte Wells' feature-length debut, starred Paul as Calum Patterson, a father on holiday with his 11-year-old daughter, Sophie. The film, which Charlotte calls "emotionally autobiographical", features Calum's own battles with depression as he attempts to make memories with his young girl.
The unique film was partially shot on 35mm cameras, providing a home footage vibe, which fits perfectly as Sophie rewatches the old footage from the holiday to piece together memories.
Aftersun was one of 2022's best films, with the 1990s-set classic earning 121 nominations, and winning 33 awards. For his role in the film, Paul was also nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars, although he missed out to Brendan Fraser.
And the flick has just been added to Netflix, and with the weekend fast approaching, it's the perfect time to watch this treasured masterpiece.
A synopsis from A24 Films reads: "At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood.
"Twenty years later, Sophie's tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't, in Charlotte Wells' superb and searingly emotional debut film."
What did fans make of Aftersun?
Both fans and critics have been wowed by Aftersun, with one writing: "In the end, this film is real cinema and reminds me very much of French cinema. It is accomplished and it is profoundly sad and moving."
A second posted: "Like the very best art, writer/director Charlotte Wells's film MUST be seen more than once to be appreciated, fully felt and understood. Like the fragmented family it depicts, the film requires of its viewer connection, engagement, commitment," while a third penned: "Aftersun is a slow build to a climax that left me openly weeping, to the point that I had to sit in the theatre for a bit after the end credits were over just to compose myself."
© Alamy Stock PhotoA fourth added: "Aftersun is a film that I wasn't sure I understood when the credits started rolling. Then, as I sat and thought about everything I had seen, I came to believe more and more that it's kind of genius."
Writing in The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film five stars, saying: "This effortlessly relaxed debut by Charlotte Wells is a subtle and complex investigation of post-divorce parenthood, with a brilliant performance by young Francesca Corio."
Who stars in Aftersun?
The film is led by Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers), who plays Calum and Frankie Corio (Bagman), who plays his daughter, Sophie. Celia Rowlson-Hall (The Staircase) also stars in the film as an older version of Sophie.
© Alamy Stock PhotoIn minor roles in Aftersun are Sally Messham (A Small Light), Spike Fearn (Tell Me Everything), Harry Perdios (Fairview Park), Ruby Thompson (Paired Up), Ethan James Smith (The Jester and the Madman), Kayleigh Coleman (Resilience) and Brooklyn Toulson, who made his debut in the film.
