The After

It's most impressive how much emotion this short film manages to pack in its brief 18-minute runtime. Misan Harriman's "The After" is a rather modest film, with a simple scenario, yet is communicated effectively so as to evoke a brooding sense of grief. Lead actor David Oyelowo delivers a compelling performance as a father processing the grief of losing his wife and daughter to an unexpected stabbing attack, with all the maturity and subtlety the subject matter demands, and it's mostly his performance that makes this film as effective as it is. While a summary of the plot might make it seem like something we've already seen before, it is the performances that make this short film stand out.

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.

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!

This short has an impact and it does it in just 20 minutes. Dayo is a grieving rideshare driver who picks up a passenger who helps him confront the past.

Not that predictable in my opinion, but it's still emotionally charged and effective.

I would have chosen a more shocking ending, I noticed the ending was somewhat abrupt It is also a reminder that you can overcome your grief with small steps, and those steps are worth taking. There are many references, loneliness and also suicide. And also how one can feel alone in one of the busiest cities in the world? Very sad, grieving alone among millions of people. The actor David Oyelowo just does a really great acting job!

I also noticed references to the use of mobile phones, I see all the clients in the taxi with one, just like at the beginning of the short, if many already have a stressful life the mobile will distract us even more. Think about one thing, we only live once on this planet, take advantage of every moment that makes you happy, because life ends quickly, one way or another.

I recommend The After without a doubt!