AFTERSUN FILM ANALYSIS

Aftersun (2022) directed by Charlotte Wells uses ordinary objects and cinematic techniques to reveal the systems that quietly shape an individual’s life. There is no explicit presentation of institutionalised oppression but we watch as Calum and his daughter Sophie battle mental health, economic pressure and societal expectations.  Through these characters, Wells exposes that such systems are most powerful when they are not overtly imposed, but rather normalised and internalised. 

The clearest depiction of the system of late capitalism in the film presents itself in the ‘holiday’ scene; a low cost, all-inclusive resort designed to commodify rest and escape. Framed as a trip for leisure, Calum’s financial insecurity seeps in with his apparent anxiety around spending money. The absence of an explanation of why exactly is deliberate, mirroring Sophie’s limited understanding of her father but also demonstrating how personal history is a part of these invisible systems that shape you, even when not articulated.

Technology also functions as a key tool, revealing that systems of memory and mediation shape how our experiences are understood over time.

The camcorder, used by Sophie, creates a layer of distance between the moment and its recollection, suggesting that memory is not a fixed truth but something revisited and reconstructed. We watch Sophie as an adult rely on these glimpses of recorded footage to piece together an understanding of her father. Though these glimpses aren’t able to preserve actual reality accurately, it certainly has the potency to mediate the emotional reality of Sophie. The fragmented structure of the film further represents how personal history is filtered through technological devices and hindsight. 

Photo by Artem Militonian on Unsplash

Family dynamics act as a device to showcase both emotional inheritance and generational impact. Sophie spends limited time with her father, highlighting how modern family systems shape relationships and understanding. In her youth, Sophie cannot fully grasp Calum’s struggles, yet her adult perspective is what frames the film, demonstrating how these experiences continue to influence her later life.

The sound design and recurring rave sequence further highlights this theme of generational trauma. The use of non diegetic electronic music and strobe lighting sharply contrast with the film’s otherwise natural soundscape. The stylistic rupture reflects the way trauma operates across generations, it is fragmented, overwhelming, and difficult to articulate. As adult Sophie revisits these moments, the rave becomes a visualisation of her attempt to understand the emotional systems her father was trapped within, particularly those that discouraged vulnerability and emotional expression. Calum’s repeated appearance and disappearance within the strobing lights suggests how individuals are consumed by these systems, leaving only traces behind for the next generation to interpret. 

Ultimately, Aftersun showcases the systems that surround and shape an individual’s life through its restrained use of ordinary objects and cinematic techniques. Although Wells avoids explicit depictions of institutionalised oppression, the film effectively exposes how systems such as late capitalism, mental health neglect, and rigid expectations of masculinity operate most powerfully when they are normalised and internalised. By embedding these pressures within memory and family dynamics rather than direct exposition, the film makes the audience actively recognise the quiet but enduring influence of these systems. As a result, the film’s subtlety does not weaken its critique; instead, it reinforces the idea that such structures are most damaging when they remain unseen yet deeply felt across generations.