Written by Tom Moore
When I say that The Aftermath is dull, I really mean it’s dull. Unable to decide whether it wants to be a serious drama or a budding romance, it fails at both. The film has an incredibly lifeless feel to it and even when it tries to grab the viewer’s attention, it becomes easier and easier to check out of the film entirely. The story doesn’t really flow and the characters never becoming interesting in the slightest. One of the only things that kept me from zoning out completely was a man who started snoring 10 minutes into the film—which pretty much sums up how tiring the film is from the start.
It’s almost baffling to see The Aftermath‘s inability to blend or balance its more dramatic themes in the first act as they are probably the most interesting thing in the film. The idea of a British colonel (Jason Clarke) and his wife (Kiera Knightley) moving into a German man’s (Alexander Skarsgard) home shortly after Germany’s defeat in World War II is something that makes the more dramatic moments of The Aftermath a little unique. I can’t really think of other films that show World War II this way and the dialogue amongst the trio effectively highlights the views they have of each other because of what country they’re from and the open wounds left from the war.
Mostly it’s because Knightley, Clarke, and Skarsgard are putting in a good amount of effort that succeeds in making their dialogue a little intriguing. However, the film pretty much throws this away once the “forbidden” romance between Knightley and Skarsgard begins and takes over the remainder of the film. This is where it really drags itself down, as it strips all of the complexity of the characters away for a romance that’s isn’t genuine.
In the first act, Knightley and Skarsgard are pretty much at each other’s throats with Knightley’s Rachael not trusting Skarsgard’s Stephen because he is German. However, the film pretty much forgets about this and has their romance be justified for “reasons” that I just couldn’t buy into. They talk about their losses and how they feel abandoned by their loved ones, but the film never lets their relationship build and it ends up coming off as cheap and forced.
Not to mention the romance plot pretty much ruins Rachael’s character and makes her someone that viewers won’t really care to get behind. She constantly makes decisions that feel like they only happen because the movie wants her to, and she comes off as cruel and a little heartless. Perhaps this was the intention, but by the end of the film, I couldn’t help but not care for her in the slightest and the film’s ending to be pointless.
If you’re on the fence about whether The Aftermath is worth your money, it’s not. Honestly, if you’re looking for a solid romance flick, I’d actually recommend Five Feet Apart. It has a strong message, consistent themes, and characters you want to root for—all of the things that are noticeably absent from The Aftermath.
Rating: 3/10
