‘Aftersun’ — The Beauty of Broken Memories

An attempt to make sense of the hardest-hitting movie I’ve ever seen

Collage created by the author. Image credit: Mubi.

When my local cinema rescreened Aftersun this week, I experienced things I’ve never seen a movie do. After the final scene, the entire theater remained silent. Nobody moved. Slowly, you could hear people crying, sniffing, wiping their tears. Even when the lights turned on, most people remained seated. You could palpably sense that the entire room was affected by the emotional sorcery of Aftersun.

But really, the end of this movie was only where its force began to unravel for me. In the following days, I kept reflecting on the bittersweet story of Aftersun. Over and over again, I revisited the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, the captivating cinematography, and the poignant narrative. It’s rare that a movie hits me so deeply. It was as if Aftersun had mixed an emotional cocktail I’d never tasted before and served it with a curly straw and an umbrella. It’s the hardest-hitting movie I’ve ever seen.

So, what is it about Aftersun that makes us feel so deeply? What makes it such a beautifully haunting movie? Here’s an attempted answer based on my obsessive engagement with Aftersun’s story, atmosphere, and cinematography.

***Spoilers below***

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