“Normal People” heartthrob Paul Mescal has quickly parlayed his breakout popularity on TV into a burgeoning film career. After appearing in last year’s “The Lost Daughter” from first-time director Maggie Gyllenhall, he’s now the star of another feature debut from a female filmmaker on the rise.
“Aftersun,” a sensitive drama about family and memory, was conceived by Scottish writer-director Charlotte Wells. The film was selected for Cannes Critics’ Week, which runs parallel to the main festival and showcases first and second efforts from new artistic voices. Still, the moody drama was one of the big hits of the festival that seemed to outshine many of the films in competition: many critics were left asking, why isn’t this at least in the Un Certain Regard section? Regardless, buzz was high, and tastemakers A24 swept up and bought the film.
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Here’s the official synopsis:
At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence creeps into view beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie’s tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t, in Charlotte Wells’ superb and searingly emotional debut film.
“Aftersun” co-stars newcomer Frankie Corio as Sophie, the 11-year-old daughter of Mescal’s young father character. Dancer and choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall will also appear in the film as an older Sophie reflecting back on her earlier life. The project was produced by PASTEL; a company co-founded by “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins. Producers also include Adele Romanski, Amy Jackson, and Mark Ceryak.
At Cannes, where “Aftersun” premiered, Mescal also starred in “God’s Creatures,” a psychological drama that is also coming out soon. “Aftersun” was so beloved after Cannes it was invited to screen at The Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and it will make its New York premiere soon at the upcoming 60th annual New York Film Festival, which is high praise all around.
A24 will release “Aftersun” on October 12. Check out the trailer for below: