A movie with an Irish Oscar nominee that fans say is the 'saddest film ever' is now streaming on Netflix. In terms of success stories, they don't often occur as rapidly as Paul Mescal's. The 30-year-old has gone from starring in sausage adverts to being a household name since the turn of the decade.
Born in Dublin, Mescal secured his breakthrough role in the BBC drama Normal People in 2020. With people stuck inside due to the pandemic, viewers fell in love with his and Daisy Edgar Jones' heartbreaking romance based on Sally Rooney's novel.
Earning BAFTA and Emmy nominations for his work, Mescal's film debut arrived just one year later in Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Lost Daughter. The film showed he could hold his own against the likes of Dakota Johnson and Oscar winner Olivia Colman. From here he starred in a range of successful films, including the psychological drama All of Us Strangers and Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, his first and only blockbuster to date. Last year saw him praised for his portrayal of William Shakespeare in Hamnet.
What separates Mescal from other actors in his generation is that there are few who can sell being emotionally devastated like he can. It's quite the skill to be able to make anyone cry this early in your career. Out of all his films to date, there's one that will break more hearts than any others. Titled Aftersun, it's not only one of the saddest films of the decade to date, but one of the best.
Aftersun: A Heartbreaking Masterpiece
Directed by Charlotte Wells in her feature directorial debut, Aftersun sees Mescal and Frankie Corio as a young father and his 11-year-old daughter on holiday at a Turkish resort. The holiday happens to fall on the eve of Mescal's character's 31st birthday. Loosely based on Wells' childhood, the film is mainly told through Corio's eyes. While a child may be unaware that their parent is struggling, it's apparent from minute one that all is not well with Mescal's character Calum.
Together, Mescal and Corio make you feel the love and warmth between their characters. Not only does it tug at the heartstrings, but it manages to capture the feeling of being on a rare holiday. Quiet in its storytelling, Aftersun slowly builds up to an ending that most film fans will never be able to get over. Slow burners can be a chore at times, yet Aftersun is pretty much universally adored.
At the BAFTAs, Wells won Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Prestigious film magazine Sight and Sound named it the best film of 2022, an achievement not to be scoffed at. Over on Reddit, film fans have left messages in their droves to explain why Aftersun is a movie you have to take the time to watch, even if you will be emotionally battered by the end of it.
- @EvrthnICRtrns2USmhw said: “I just finished watching Aftersun (2022) after avoiding it for years and now I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life. I thought it would be nice to finally see it before I leave my 20s. This story will stay with me for the rest of my lifetime. I'm so devastated in all the right ways.”
- @ThouWolfman wrote: “Aftersun is devastating. The soundtrack is eerie. The final act was incredible.”
- @ExtremeTEE posted: “It's especially moving because so much is based on the director's real memories. There's even a photo of her real Dad buying a similar rug to the movie.”
- @Tomatoes33 commented: “The time period and setting was very evocative, as I had family holidays in similar places. However, being the father of a young daughter, the final act destroyed me emotionally and I still think about it. Powerful film.”
Aftersun is available to stream now on Netflix.
