The After

"The After" is truly an emotional journey, capturing the essence of grief in a raw and genuine manner. It conveys a profound message about loss that stays with you long after viewing.

Oyewolo's standout performance as Dayo (under Misan Harriman's masterful direction) speaks to the human condition and resonated deeply with me. The film's cinematography paints a melancholic yet hopeful atmosphere, making each frame a visual poetry.

The narrative, while poignant, also offers moments of light, subtly reminding us of the strength that lies n resilience and hope. With its intricate storytelling and powerful performances, "The After" stands as a testament to the beauty and complexity of human emotions. A cinematic masterpiece not to be missed.

No pun intended - I have to admit, I knew nothing about this other than the title. And Netflix suggested it to me - so why not try it? I do like a good short movie - and this definitely can be called that. Especially with the casting (getting a major star - at least that's what I would call him) - that was quite genius.

But I am certain that the script was responsible for that. If you get a role you can really get into ... with such depth in a short amount of time .. why wouldn't you do it? This deals with pain and loss and a main character who needs to cope with a lot. How would you react? It is easy to say, well I would do this or that ... but it makes sense ... well the journey let's call it that our main "hero" takes ... and where he lands ... I thought he might do something different ... but life is not easy. And the others will not understand him or his reaction ... may even see him as crazy .. but he is not! We feel for and with him - those with empathy that is. You do not need to have been in that situation ... and I hope you have not been ... very well done in every regard!

Despite its 16 minute length, I was left with the feeling that there needs to be more source material for this to engage. On the plus side however the acting is good and convincing - a strong show from an unheard-of cast. The depiction of Londoners as hollow, cold, insular and socially worthless husks was very close to the bone, causing my second strongest emotion while watching this to be one of validation in emigrating from the UK. The film itself is of course a vehicle to both build up to and lend weight to the finale, which is poignant and potent enough to be memorable and debatable long after the film ends. Six stars.

After losing a family member to a violent crime, a shattered rideshare driver picks up a passenger who forces him to confront his grief.

Short, but deep and painful, what is the meaning of life after we have stupidly and unfairly lost the only two important people in our lives? What is the point of continuing to live? I always ask myself these questions, which always go unanswered when I watch something so cruel and dramatic like this... They say that the pain doesn't diminish, we just reframe it, but how? Simple and magnificent production, well executed, and with a message of hope at the end...

It's sad, pushing on dystrophic that this is an Oscar nominee. It is one of the slyest, most shameless gratuitous tear-jerkers I've ever seen. And it doesn't even do that well. It has NO INSIGHT, NO COMMENTARY, no richness of perspective (next to no perspective at all tbh), no message, no conclusion, no innovation. The acting is mediocre. The cinematography is standard TV, the dialogue even manages to feel a bit false as far as British English goes. The music is just You Tube audio library. I literally cannot find anything even slightly above mediocre in this movie. And barely anything above terrible. Thank Good it was relatively short.

Also, yeah, the subject is tragic but so is a news bulletin. If I mention the death of a child in this review, will it get a Pulitzer? No. BS.