The After

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!

When I saw this short on my Netflix librabry I got really excited to watch it as it is nominated for the Oscars.

The first few minutes met my expectations with some gorgeous momenst of a father with is daughter. A few moments after that, a really forced and quite mediocre plot twist happens wich makes the action take place. Beyond this moment, the movie just turns into a low budget, mediocre movie about a guy that serves as a Uber driver for the London's most strange and unsual passangers. On the movies last moments we are contemplated with the most cliche couple arguing while the main character stares at the couple's daughter with some sad music in the background.

Overal, I got really disapointed about this movie as I was expecting for gold, and just got some low quality fool's gold.

People are complaining about the sparce script...I personally didnt miss any words. The acting spoke volumes. David Oyelowo never misses but here he really puts in the work.

I dont give spoilers but I will say I sobbed like a baby at 1 scene in particular..it really hit home. If you have ever been effected by grief, heartbreak or loss then this short will ruin your day. Lol

If people dont get it I am glad for them as they probably have no concept of real heartbreak and the knock of effects because that IS the main premise...so good for them.

A reviewer talked about how they should have invested money into script rather than expensive locations. Id say maybe, if you needed the extra words but movies use gorilla style filming all the time to get around permits..especially in expensive locations like london.

A solid 9.

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...