First Published via HUB Magazine when I was Culture Editor.

Date Published: 10th February 2023.

Aftersun, directed by Charlotte Wells.

One of the best films of 2022 was Aftersun where Paul Mescal was nominated for his first Oscar for this performance.

Charlotte Wells’ debut feature film Aftersun stars Normal People’s Paul Mescal and rising star Frankie Corio. Sophie (Frankie Corio) reflects on her last holiday with her father, with the directional choice of old-school recordings here and there. This makes a stark difference between what can be perceived as Sophie’s faded memories and reality through the recorded footage. This is also the relationship with Paul Mescal’s character, who is the real him when he is not in the father role as he tries to hide his severe depression from his daughter. In many beautifully orchestrated shots, Sophie’s side has warm colours and lighting. In contrast, Paul Mescal has cold blue lighting to represent their mental mindsets and emotions.

Charlotte Wells uses reflection to produce unique shots creating an elegant effect. Though some might find the film slow-paced, as it slowly builds tension and they are waiting for something to happen and there is not a grand final. I found it beautifully paced and phenomenal. There was never a drop or break of the tension. It was only as they roll the credits that you understand how it ended. There’s so much pressure to have a big twist, but Aftersun does not do that, and for that, I love it even more.

The last fifteen minutes of this film are some of the most beautiful and heart-aching shots, with the soundtrack choice of ‘Under Pressure’ by Queen playing in the background. There is a mixture of shots blended into one. Paul begins dancing on their last night on holiday and he drags Sophie on the dance floor where they both appear happy and content.Then an image of Paul dancing in a crowded room with flashing lights which has been shown throughout the film but this time it is a continuous shot of Paul and the older version of Sophie. We can see the mental torment in Paul’s mind and his pain. This, paired with the holiday dancing scene, shows the intimacy between father and daughter relationships. I hold myself tight as I cry each time I watch it. It was so incredibly done.

Aftersun serves as a reminder to check on your loved ones, because you never truly know what is going on in someone’s mind.

This is Going to Hurt directed by Lucy Forbes and Tom Kingsley.

A perfect balance between comedy and tragedy with an overall cold and sorrowful tone in its use of blue and its simplicity in shots. If dark humour or sarcasm isn’t for you, don’t watch. This is Going to Hurt is a seven-episode mini-series based on a book by Adam Kay with some slight changes. It is a truly devastating look at how doctors, midwives, and nurses are treated in the NHS by patients, lack of funding from the government, and a massive gap in support. It also highlighted the stupidity of choosing what to do with your life at fifteen.

All the characters deserved better and were let down by the government. I would highly recommend this if you want to cry your heart out and have a laugh. The mini-series also brilliantly showed flawed characters; none are perfect, and all have unlikeable qualities. As the discussion around the importance of the NHS and funding is increasing, this film certainly can provide you with some insight.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, directed by Rian Johnson.

I would like to issue a statement:

Rian Johnson, I formally apologise and forgive you for the absolute mess that was Star Wars: The Last Jedi, because this film was enough for me.

Where Knives Out is a classic whodunit, Glass Onion aimed to be a satirical, campy, and fun detective story resembling Clue (1985). As a result, there was more of a build-up than Knives Out. However, the second and third act made it worth it. Glass Onion was more whimsical and group-oriented than Knives Out. Glass Onion takes place in 2020 on a Greek island owned by Edward Norton, who played Tyler Durden’s worse nightmare: an immoral, dumb, and money-hungry capitalist. Individuals have come to an island for a murder mystery only to turn it into a real-life crime scene.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler.

Though I agree at some points that King T’challa was too noble, I’m not at all convinced that allowing Zumo and Namor to live are the same thing. After all, Zumo was just a man, and T’challa recognised the grief in Zumo’s eyes.

My favourite characters remained the Queen and M’Baku.

Overall, the film was rather slowed-paced compared to most Marvel films. Especially once you compare it with the first film. The superhero going for revenge, only to change their mind at the last-minute plot line is overplayed and tiring. It has already been done in this phase with Shang-Chi and Spider-Man. Arguably, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was much more hearbreaking and necessary for the story.

The comparison between the first and second films shows that Marvel is leaving behind its superhero comedic tragedies. If you would like a comedy, I suggest watching Thor.

There was many heartbreaking moments that brought tears to my eyes.

It is inspiring to many young girls, as this film is dominantly women. It presents the strength in women and finds this strength in emotions. Shuri puts off having too many emotions about her brother’s death, whereas the other women in the film were fuelled by power through their emotions.

Not Okay, directed by Quinn Shephard.

Zoey Deutch and Dylan O’Brien, sign me up! This film was a solid three-star film. Zoey, desperate for Dylan O’Brien’s attention (I mean, who isn’t), faked a trip to Paris, which quickly went wrong when a terrorist attack occured in Paris. Instead of admitting that she lied to get time off work or simply saying she wasn’t in that part of Paris, she lied by saying she was near the terrorist attack to get attention from work, her parents, and Dylan O’Brien. I personally would have said I post my stories much later so I don’t get stalked, but that’s just me. I liked this film. I understand the criticism that some jokes don’t land correctly due to the time difference, but I am okay with it. Overall, it’s an easy and interesting watch, Dylan O’Brien looks insanely hot, and this film criticises Gen Z’s use of social media. Against popular opinion, not every film needs to be a five-star or Oscar-worthy film to be good. I like bad films with good actors.

Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde.

Florence Pugh is an incredible actor who I truly believe will be one of the greatest of this generation. However, Harry Styles fell flat at every turn of this film. It was simply a miscast. This film could have been one of my favourites of the year if Harry Styles could give some emotion. Florence Pugh gave the performance of a lifetime, whereas Harry Styles was monotoned. I enjoyed Olivia Wilde both as an actor and director. The failure of this film was not her directorial style, but a miscast. I felt it was an overly artsy film, created by a film student who got a big budget and wanted to be the next Jordan Peele. Despite this I found the concepts and cinematography enjoyable.

This film needed a lot of trimming in certain areas, as it wasn’t very clear overall with its intentions. Don’t Worry Darling was an attempt to mix Groundhog Day and The Truman Show. It jumped into the world without building a society or tension. The second act began with a transition from the mind control operation to Florence Pugh coming out of surgery as a doctor. This is where the film should have started.

Cretton, Destin Daniel. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel Studios, 2021.

Coogler, Ryan. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Marvel Studios, 2022.

Forbes, Lucy and Tom Kingsley. This is Going to Hurt. AMC Studios, 2022.

Johnson, Rian. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Lionsgate, 2022.

Johnson, Rian. Knives Out. Lionsgates, 2019.

Johnson, Rian. Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Lucasfilm, 2017.

Lynn, Jonathan. Clue. Paramount, 1985.

Ramis, Harold. Groundhog Day. Columbia Pictures, 1993.

Sherpard, Quinn. Not Okay. Searchlight Pictures, 2022.

Watts, Jon. Spider-Man: No Way Home. Columbia Pictures, 2021.

Wells, Charlotte. Aftersun. BBC Film, 2022.

Weir, Peter. The Truman Show. Paramount, 1998.

Wilde, Olivia. Don’t Worry Darling. Warner Bros Pictures, 2022.