STARRING: Celia Rowlson-Hall, Paul Mescal, Sally Messham

DIRECTOR: Charlotte Wells

DURATION: 1:41

RATING: M

Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal is luminous in the intimate, award-winning A24 drama from BAFTA-winning debut feature director Charlotte Wells. Winner of an incredible seven British Independent Film Awards and nominated for three Critics Choice Awards, critics have described the radiant debut feature from the Scottish filmmaker as "one of the year's best films". The spellbinding gem of a father-daughter drama stars Mescal (Normal People, The Lost Daughter) who delivers a masterclass in understated acting that reflects in his mesmerisingly natural rapport with extraordinary newcomer Francesca Corio.

This evocative 90s-set drama, with an effortlessly cool soundtrack to match, sees divorced dad Calum (Mescal) on a holiday with his 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Corio) to a budget Turkish resort. At the fading vacation resort, Sophie treasures rare time with her loving and idealistic father, Calum. 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.

Aftersun draws you in like an ocean current, playing out sun-baked childhood memories woven together with tender home video footage almost like a dream, but there is an inescapable feeling that something darker lingers below the surface of this beach trip. Along with Mescal and Corio who flow through this searingly emotional film with a captivating chemistry that perfectly encapsulates the complex bond between parent and child, Wells has made an unforgettable and profound mark with this heart-stopping feature debut.

REVIEWS

"A father-and-daughter drama that will stop you in your tracks."

- TIME OUT

"This mesmeric debut will make you want to stay suspended in its sun-baked setting with its two captivating lead characters for far longer than the runtime. A triumph of new British filmmaking."

- EMPIRE MAGAZINE

"The film is the first from Scottish director Charlotte Wells, the result such a gossamer knockout that the fact seems implausible."

- FINANCIAL TIMES

"Wells’ movie ripples and shimmers like a swimming pool of mystery...Paul Mescal is – as ever – excellent."

- THE GUARDIAN

"A beautiful performance from Paul Mescal... One of the most gifted actors of his generation."

- THE TELEGRAPH