After Review: Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin’s sizzling chemistry will win your hearts

Star Rating:

If you’ve seen the trailer of After, then you’d agree that while the sneak peek gives you a fair idea of the film’s storyline, it still intrigues you enough to want to know how this love story works out in the end. Based on the young adult novel series After by Anna Todd, the trailer of this Jenny Gage-directed romantic drama promises some interesting twists and intensely passionate moments. But does the film deliver what it promises in the highly-charged trailer? Well, read on to find out…

What After is all about: Having secured admission into a reputed college, Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) moves to the college dorm. An academically-inclined student and a perfect daughter, she has been brought up in a very protective environment by her single mother Carol (Selma Blair), who has chalked out her daughter’s life to the tee. Tessa also has a boyfriend Noah (Dylan Arnold), who is more of a close childhood friend, than her romantic interest.

On the first night itself, she runs into the rather intense and broody college hottie Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin), and then meets him again at a party, where she refuses to kiss him as a part of a Truth-or-Dare game. While the two do not kiss, the attraction between them is undeniable.

Mysterious and kind of the college ‘bad boy’ that ‘good girls’ are warned about, Tessa however, soon finds herself drawn to this rebel-of-sorts and eventually falls for him as does he for her! But are things really as simple as they seem, or will Tessa be making the biggest mistake of her life embarking on a stormy relationship with him, in spite of her mother’s warnings? And what is the secret of Hardin’s past? These are some of the twists and turns in store for the audience.

Yay: ‘Good girl falls for the quintessential campus bad boy’ would have pretty much summed up the story, if it wasn’t for the twists and turns to keep you hooked to see how the love story plays out. But while the campus romance is predictable in parts, the sizzling chemistry that the lead pair shares, more than makes up for pretty much everything else.

Tessa and Hardin share some amazingly tender moments, as well as extremely charged intense passionate ones, along with highly emotional scenes that are equally convincing. Their chemistry is an absolute treat for the die-hard romantics. The young romance will certainly strike a chord and tug at your heart-strings.

Debutante Josephine Langford is a delight on screen, as the innocent Tessa who’s struggling with her budding emotions of love for Hardin. As a performer, she’s a natural and makes you feel for her every step of the way. She owns the vulnerability of Tessa and projects it on the big screen with amazing conviction. As for Fiennes, who may well be remembered as the 11-year-old Tom Riddle in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, he too hits home with his role. Dark and a rebel, as Hardin, he recites poetry and lines straight from classic novels that only enhance his mysterious charm. Battling his inner demons, he is the perfect foil for the sweet and angelic Tessa. And together they are dynamite, and definitely actors to watch out for.

The supporting cast has done a fairly good job. Seeing Selma Blair play a mother with utter ease, after having watched her play a troubled teen herself in Cruel Intentions a decade ago certainly is nostalgic. The screenplay (Jenny Gage, Susan McMartin, Tamara Chestna) and the music (Justin Burnett) keep the tempo going. The direction (Jenny Gage) too is impressive.

Check out the trailer right here:

Nay: The film feels a bit stretched in parts. The college romance is not without its clichéd situations. Some of the stereotypical characters give you a strong sense of déjà vu as do the scenes, though they have been handled really well.

CineBlitz Verdict: If you are a die-hard romantic and dig campus romance, then After is just what we’d recommend. The passionate and sensuous chemistry of the leads is easily the highlight of this love story. A heartfelt story of following one’s heart as it navigates its way through love, pain, loss, life, relationships and the complexities of it all, this is one entertaining journey you’d want to catch when it releases today.