User reviews

I'm not one to slam new filmmakers, but newb writer, director and producer Aleem Hossain should've had a seasoned screenwriter go over his script.

The premise of the story was decent, but there was too much filler and very little substance. The ridiculously long and unnecessary near-still camera shots got annoying very fast. The plot and technical issues were very evident. Not even taking the slow pacing into account, the lack of substance made this 82 min run-time feel like almost 3 hours. This film needed to be a short, or a 1 hour TV length. What's worse, was Hossain's attempt for a plot twist at the end that was a huge fail, and gave this film that generic dumb ending you see in many cheap b-grade films.

Aside from the long dragged out scenes, Hossain's directing and camera work was ok for a newb, although the few action scenes had terrible choreography and poor camera angles. The cinematography and color choice needed to be much better. Even for a low budget indie film, the sci-fi should've been more apparent than a few CGI moments. Without those, you'd think the timeline was the 1980's. Although the score was quite fitting and impressive for a b-grade film, sadly, the sound was terrible especially during the action sequences e.g. gun fire. The acting was the main highlight of this film.

This film is not anything close to a 10, but certainly undeserving of any 1 and 2's. Cutting some slack for new filmmakers, I'm giving this film a generous 5/10.

I have to admit I was kinda looking forward to watching this movie, a sci-fi with an appealing poster, and a story that looked interesting but the reality turned out to be completely different. Instead I got to watch a boring slow movie with decent actors but with a badly written script and a below average production. The script is full of unexplained parts that keep you guessing, and on top of that a quite dumb ending that doesn't bring any satisfaction. After We Leave isn't even sci-fi unless you count the fact that there is another planet to live on apparently, but other than that nothing happens slightly remotely interesting. It's basically a waste of time watching this movie, unless you're not easily bored and don't mind bad scripts.

Not a bad premise, but very badly executed. Acting was actually OK so the cast should be happy with their contribution, but the script is all over the place. Some parts simply make no sense (the biggest being the incredibly stupid and frustrating ending) whilst other parts are so ridiculously slow I needed to fast forward to remain even remotely interested.

It's just a bad movie. Not terrible, just bad. Give it a watch if you have nothing else to do, otherwise don't bother.

3/10 for the actor's efforts.

I watched this film at the Berlin SciFi film festival and enjoyed it pretty much! It's a slow paced drama, so don't watch it if your brain can't handle something more complicated than "Sharknado". I wish there were more scifi movies like this. Movies that make you think instead of giving you a headache. If something likes this bores you, then maybe you shouldn't watch dramas. Go watch your "Transformers" and "Avengers" crap. I can't believe, people are giving this film 1-star-reviews. No wonder we are getting punished with bull**it like "Rise of Skywalker" or "Star Trek Beyond".

When you reach halfway point of this movie, you will realise that nothing has really happened in the story. He is still looking for his wife because only couples can leave. I have never been so bored. Please don't waste your precious life watchig this drivel. Go build a solar array or a rain-water collector for your hydroponic farm.

Well, not much to say other than it was horribly long and tedious, it felt like half of the movie was focused on the cast's faces and their frozen faces. Also if your trying to do try not to fall asleep or die of boredom challenge then go ahead and watch it... it's great fun,

(We had to play the movie on 2x speed just to make it quicker, that's how bad it was)

Congrats Aleem Hussain for your first movie directing, hope you learn from your mistakes, good luck!

...

I must agree with Natasha266 - I don't want to sound negative to something like this, but unfortunately - this title really didn't hold any entertainment value at all.. sorry! However this movie may appeal to others who like to watch something to pass the time.

These 1- and 2-star reviews are just ridiculous. People really have been dumbed down by Hollywood. If you like your movies glossy, formulaic, and with neat little endings that tie up all the loose ends, then this is not for you. But if you like movies with originality, that make you think, then give this a go. It's not fantastic, and it can be a little slow, but it's definitely worth watching. I'm glad I did.

The ending to this film was just bad. A twist that failed to contort into anything of worth.

It had an ok premise and lofty aspirations as an Indy film, but It just couldn't hit any of the marks. The storyline was predictable for all the bad reasons. The script lacked any punch. Visual effects were nonexistent and the acting was wooden at best.

Hossain is not a good director. He fails to bring the viewer into a future in any meaningful way. As has been noted elsewhere, the film looks set in the late 20th century. Nothing hints at when this takes place where space colonization would be commonplace.

Action scenes in this were just...lacking with subpar choreography and bad framing. So much more could have been done. The only positive is the soundtrack but even that gets bludgeoned with careless audio editing and low levels.

Watching this was a mistake. I should have read a book!

I was very taken by this subversive, slow-burn sci-fi about immigration and the Haves and Have-Nots. It has a well-executed, almost noir aesthetic (shot by Destroyer's Julie Kirkwood), solid acting, strong editing, and an excellent, brooding score. As a first feature filmmaker, Aleem Hossain has shown amazing potential with what he can do on a tiny budget. And seeing how many awards the film picked up at sci-fi festivals, it's clear the tastemakers agree this film is a noteworthy addition to the genre. Its ponderous tone may not be for the action-loving crowd - it's more Kelly Reichardt than James Cameron - but if you like thoughtful SF, definitely check it out.

This is one for movie-buffs and also for those with a few extra brain cells that have not been desensitized by dumb Hollywood. Although the basic premise is a simple one - futuristic dystopian Earth, run both by big business and small-town mafia, the story actually transcends a Sci-Fi to become more of a human drama and a tough-guy personal story of self-revealing. Though slow-paced there is a sort of genius in the way the screenplay slowly reveals personalities and their histories, like one of the slit-lanterns gradually uncovering the light and truth, with plenty of imagination and nuance, not only towards the audience but also to "solitary John", the central, hard-man character. There were so many opportunities to let violence rip and become cliché - but even this is disciplined and controlled, with some fulfillment in the dramatic conclusion. I'm sure that Aleem Hossain will make it big in future endeavors, provided he sticks to his principles.

There should be a 0/10 option for movies like this. I lasted 30 minutes before I killed it off. 15 of those minutes I fell asleep. Maybe this a camouflaged insomnia cure?

A really poor film, no back story. No, money spent. A lot of lingering and time wasting on pointless things like eating with no dialogue. The ending is a mess, trying to be clever and fails miserably. I've given it 2 out of 10 only because I've seen worse films (beyond the black rainbow).

I liked some of the techniques used to overcome a low budget. I don't mind when the director doesn't explain everything, and I thought it was unusual and bold when the "dangerous job" wasn't shown at all.

Films, however, are stories about people. The ending makes absolutely no sense. No real person would ever act that way, and I realized I had wasted 85 minutes.

Please avoid at all costs. No story. No acting. No nothing. Absolutely dull. There no point of this movie. Utter garbage. Please avoid if your time matters!

The subject of this review says it all.

Being a sci-fi fan and watching this movie is like watching somebody take your favorite food, bring it to you, then while you watch, they drop it in the dirt and proceed to step on it. Then they look at your incredulous face and step on it again.

The premise of the movie is a great one, and it opened my eyes to the idea that maybe, just maybe, becoming a multi-planet species when we so desperately need to might be really bad for a lot of people. Wow, I never looked at that perspective.

Then that great revelation is followed, drawn out, slowly, maybe a bit more slowly than it could have been, but that's OK. I can follow long stories.

But, the last half of the movie is crapping on that premise, that idea, over and over again. Then it looks like somehow it won't end so badly -- wait, did I miss something?

No, that's the part where the movie-maker is looking at the hope in your eyes before they step on your food a second time while it's lying in the dirt. And you're left wondering, "why was that even necessary???"

The movie-maker skillfully takes you right up to the end thinking he's crafted something that was worth 85 minutes (no, really 79 minutes, because the end credits run a solid 6 minutes) of your time before showing you he never gave a crap in the first place.

All I can say is, WOW, well played, sir! You got exactly $0 of my money and a guarantee that I will commit your name to memory for the rest of my life so I can make sure I never pay for anything you make.

Absolutely brilliant career move, the making of this movie...

I really liked this movie, the acting was very good, directing, and camera are really good. I think the editing needed some work as some of the scenes were not necessary and only serves to distract the viewer. The story is great, and did I say the directing was really good?

I can't believe this screenplay covered more than three sides of paper.

This movie is tough and emotional and real. It takes a very lo-fi approach to sci-fi, using small and textured graphics, and effects to get across the feeling of a lived in (overly lived in) world. This director understands what is necessary and what is unneeded in a human and humane story that talks about what we as a world and country are dealing with today--runaway consumerism, steep economic inequality, and rampant environmental degradation. Wisely, these issues are backgrounded to allow a simple story of a guy who screwed everyone in his life over years ago, coming back home to find his wife--the person he hurt most. His journey through a squalid Los Angeles, that, like Alphaville, uses real locations mostly unadorned by effects, is a classic noir-like journey that doesn't have an ounce of fat on it. If you dig classic indie movies, art film, and crime stories that don't talk down to the viewer, then this is the movie for you.

After We Leave is a solid and impressive debut feature by Aleem Hossain. The main character has a clear mission to find his estranged wife before the launch date of their shuttle, giving him (and them) a chance at a second life together. A beautiful score harnesses the emotion of the characters and drives home the drama. The visual effects were subtle and effective. With a clear understanding of story and characters, I look forward to seeing what Aleem Hossain does next.

A couple of things (1) why (2) thank god it's the final one (3) just awful , and it's number 5 on Netflix are they being forced to watch it , I cannot believe I waited to watch it , i bc can't think if anything else to say apart from it was awful

Sci-fi != rockets. Sci-Fi = new situations. If you can take the same story and put it in another setting and nothing really changes then it's not Sci-Fi, it's just a drama. That it happens to take place with some futuristic elements is not enough to call it Sci-Fi

All we really get from this is a drama about a guy looking for his wife with a hard deadline to find her. The setting is mostly superfluous. I bring that up because putting it in a Sci-Fi dressing sets some expectations that there will be something new added to the world. What if robots became sentient. What if an AI declared war on the world. What if everyone had 24/7 video cameras in their eyes. What if AR was so real it caused PTSD, What if time travel was actually possible, etc...

This movie doesn't really add a strong enough "what if" to be sci-fi so when all is said and done it's a mostly mediocre drama about a guy that for some reason left his wife but now wants to find her and the only person that knows where she is is someone he screwed over previously and mostly wants to see him suffer/die.

The only things we get from the "what if" are a dead line and a reason to need his wife even if he doesn't care about her. He may or may not care about her but he needs her regardless. Those situations already exist in the real world. For example visas expire. I know several friends that had to move back to their home country even though they didn't want to leave, because their visa expired. They desperately tried to find a new job (job = visa sponsor) before their deadline, failed and had to leave. Needing a spouse for a visa is also a real world issue.

Basically this is not a Sci-Fi movie but because it's dressed as one it only disappoints those mis-lead by the setting. Remove the setting and not much changes.

I think the ending is not such a bad idea though I can see how in the end it's unstatifying and that the build up to get there doesn't make it worth while.