Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
paul mescal aftersun cannes rotten tomatoes
Credit: Cannes / Rotten Tomatoes

The reviews are in: your fave Paul Mescal’s new film has a near perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes

He doesn't miss.

King Paul Mescal’s latest flick just premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and based on the reviews is damn near perfect. But are we surprised after he pulled at our heartstrings and nether-regions in Normal People?

Recommended Videos

Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun debuted at this year’s festival. According to YouTuber The Oscar Expert, it follows a woman named Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) as she recalls a vacation she took with her father Calum (Paul Mescal) when she was eleven. Newcomer Frankie Corio plays eleven-year-old Soph.

The film explores their estranged relationship, unique connection and the gaps in their communication. The pair are often confused as siblings because Mescal’s character had Sophie at a young age. There’s just a 20 year age gap between father and daughter, so the film also addresses the struggles of being thrown into fatherhood at such a young age, per the YouTuber.

Aftersun may only have received 13 official reviews as of publishing, but it’s still sitting at a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Irish Times critic Donald Clarke praised the film for how it “subtly communicates an enormous sadness lurking just beneath the surface”. The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw gave it a solid 5/5 in their rave review:

“Wells’ movie ripples and shimmers like a swimming pool of mystery; the way Wells captures mood and moment, never labouring the point or forcing the pace, reminded me of the young Lucrecia Martel.”

Speaking to French publication La Semaine de la Critique at Cannes, Paul Mescal revealed what drew him to the next big indie flick. He described Wells as an “extraordinary” filmmaker.

“The script was the first thing I encountered and Calum is someone I knew very quickly I’d love to play. It was challenging to read so I [knew] it would be an interesting film…

“Seeing someone trying exceptionally hard to succeed and be good and be a good father and failing is truly tragic to me. You see [Calum] actively pursue these things and come up short in these moments and disgusted in himself [and it’s] really moving.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author