by Eurocheese
A24 has had a killer 2022 so far, and they’re not slowing down. The effusive love for Everything Everywhere All at Once has indeed been everywhere: tributes to all the actors (including Middleburg last week), Park Chan-wook adding his name to the list of celebrities declaring their love for the film, reports of Academy screenings going like gangbusters – the weird little blockbuster-that-could has done everything it can to stay front and center in the Oscar race. On top of that, there’s the critical success of several A24 films in their bread-and-butter category of horror/thriller (X, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Pearl) and a couple of gems that are enchanting discoveries for those that seek them out (After Yang, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On). What more could we ask of them?
As it turns out, we can expect them to showcase the brilliant (not to mention gorgeous) Paul Mescal in two films that highlight his ability to be heartbreaking and ice cold in polar opposite performances...
AFTERSUN
Aftersun is the debut feature from writer/director Charlotte Wells, and if you haven’t added it to your list of must-see films this year, please do so immediately. It begins with a series of fragmented memories from a father-daughter summer trip to Turkey, where Mescal’s young father is determined to show his 11-year-old daughter (Frankie Corio in her memorable screen debut) a good time before she heads back to school. At first, the disorienting editing guides the audience between a series of home videos playing without context and images that will not make sense until the film’s final act. Wells knows exactly what she’s doing, though, as we begin to learn more about our central pair.
Corio’s Sophie is a lively, curious teenager who is clearly in the process of figuring out her personality. Her gaze lingers on couples kissing with a longing that lets us know she is eager to experience the world, ready for her next adventure. Mescal’s Calum is noticing this too, but coming at it from another perspective, having seen much of the world and wanting to protect his daughter from it. This familiar push-and-pull is masking what’s really going on with Calum, which he spends much of the movie hiding from her and which Mescal only teases in moments to the audience. It’s never entirely clear where this story is heading, and part of the brilliance of the film is watching Wells’ web come together in pieces. There are flashes forward to a woman who appears to be a future Sophie, who is reflecting back on these videos, leaving us wondering what about these shared moments is standing out to her.
The subtlety at play between the film’s central pair sells the loving bond between them, even when they are arguing or Calum is making questionable choices as a parent. It’s clear that Sophie has no idea she is living a moment that will become so vital to her in later years, and Wells confirmed she kept part of the script from her young leading lady because she wanted her to genuinely react in the moment rather than anticipating what would be happening in the future. Not wanting to spoil the film’s eventual direction, let’s just say that the final act beautifully ties together all of the clues Wells has been giving us in a way that completely emotionally satisfies and still leaves room for so many questions. It’s no surprise that producer Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) has been championing it as a film that had him in the corner crying when rewatching it in festivals.
GOD'S CREATURES
Mescal’s second film sends us in an entirely different direction: While Aftersun’s Calum is a loving father who is struggling to protect his daughter, his character Brian in God’s Creatures comes back to into his family’s lives as a destructive emotional tornado without any regard for how his actions will impact anyone. He first appears on screen with a charming smile for his mother (Emily Watson) that hints at how he has used it in the past to get out of trouble. She welcomes him with open arms, but the more cautious reception from other characters puts us on notice that this homecoming may have consequences.
2022’s Best Actress list of hopefuls is one of the strongest line ups in recent memory, so Watson’s turn as a problematic enabling mother isn’t likely to gather much steam. Watching her portray a woman who, as we are shown in several moments, seems accustomed to having her voice stifled when the men in her life put themselves first, gives us a central character we don’t often see in film. Her lack of agency and inability to question her own conclusions leads to its own discussion – what can women in this setting do to stand up for themselves?
God's Creatures, directed by Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer who previously made The Fits (2015) together, seems to be struggling with its own answer to this question. The film lurches towards a conclusion that isn’t completely satisfying. Still, the two performances at the center of this mother-son drama are always compelling, with Watson and Mescal matching each other’s love and anger as they damage those around them.
Between the two films, Paul Mescal is building a strong reputation as an actor who challenges himself with complex characters. A24 has a lot on its plate this year, but we really need to see an Oscar campaign for his excellent, poignant work in Aftersun (especially since that category has a couple of slots that feel wide open). He’s far more than just a pretty face.
Aftersun is now in limited release in theaters, and God’s Creatures is now available to rent online.