By: Ava Rogha
The transition from high school to college tends to be exciting and full of surprises. Students (mainly freshmen) start a new chapter in their lives that includes adapting to new environments and moving to different cities.
After (2019) is a great example of just that!
It follows Tessa Young (Josephine Langford), a freshman, who is moving into a shared student accommodation far from home. She is already dating a high school student, Noah (Dylan Arnold), who she grew up with most of her life, and is not looking to do much else than studying and focusing on her schoolwork. However, that changes when she meets her roommate, Steph (Khadijha Red Thunder)!
"My life before him was so simple and decided, now after him...It's just...After."
Steph is your usual party animal, surrounded by plenty of people like herself.
Tessa is quite the opposite, she does not drink alcohol nor is she open to use drugs. And when she gets invited to her first frat party ever, she is surprised to see how different she and Steph’s friends really are.
Although she feels uncomfortable around them, she still doesn’t leave the party. And my guess is that she has gained an infatuation for Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), a friend of Steph whom she’s met recently. He’s intimidating and persuasive, and just the bad boy type she needed in her life.
During a game of truth or dare, Tessa seems to be new at, she is dared to make-out with Hardin. But instead of staying and playing, she chooses to leave.
But her chemistry with Hardin doesn’t end there... The boy uses his persuasive personality to pull Tessa towards him. And although the girl keeps rejecting him and his strong aura, Hardin doesn’t give up on her until she gives in.
Tessa finally agrees to join him for a drive, but makes it clear that she is currently seeing someone. They stop by the woods and hop into the lake, avoiding the temptation of kissing each other knowing Tessa has a boyfriend…until they do?
"I don't think we can ever be just friends."
Tessa seems to be forgetting the type of guy Hardin is. And putting aside the fact that she is currently seeing Noah, Tessa and Hardin are very different and their attraction towards each other seems to be based on lust rather than love.
And although their newfound connection is filled with drama, Tessa keeps choosing Hardin over everything else. It doesn’t take long until Noah and her mom catch onto their “relationship”, and more drama is added to an unstable fling!
Since the two are in love, nothing can get in their way, right? Or at least that’s what they think for a while. Until a friend of theirs, Molly (Inanna Sarkis), chooses to expose Hardin’s true intentions...
The movie takes a sudden turn for the worse and Tessa finds herself lonely in a foreign town with no one to lean on! I really don’t want to spoil the ending and what exactly makes the two lovebirds fall apart, but I’m sure we can agree on the fact, that despite everything Hardin puts Tessa through, it really seems like he cares for her and has caught unexpected romantic feelings for the girl over time.
"You aren't my type, just the way that I'm not yours. But that's why we are good for each other — we are so different, yet we're the same. You told me once that I bring out the worst in you. Well, you bring out the best in me."
After is yet another cliched movie, where once again, opposites attract.
But it’s modern and fresh, and straight from a fanfiction, literally!
You may wish you were in Tessa’s shoes at times, but you might get mad at the girl for losing herself in a very different crowd and messing with her mother’s trust.
The movie depicts a realistic version of a college girl’s life. Although a lot of the scenes are highly exaggerated, we may all have experienced the feeling of starting college and trying to blend in, so I’m definitely not blaming Tessa for falling in love with the “bad boy” of the clique.
It's overall a good watch and you might not get the ending you wished for, but the sequel; After We Collided (2020) is about to get released, so don’t worry…you will not have to wait long to get your questions answered!
"Who says I don't believe in love?"
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