After (I) (2012) User Reviews (58)

Indie fantasy film worth catching

[emayhem04 · 6/10 · 30 October 2012]

**Slight spoilers but nothing too specific** After is a well-shot indie fantasy film that's worth catching. The first 2/3 of the film setup, at a rather deliberate pace, some decent suspense and mystery as to what exactly is happening to our heroes. The last third turns from thriller more to romance, which personally turned me off. The film had good potential as a thriller in my opinion until they took that fork in the road. Pros: Two leads are solid in their roles, which is very respectable considering the weight that is put onto them. Interesting start and some decent mystery/suspense. Special effects were interesting. Cons: Stalled out in terms of thrills, took the film in an unexpected and, to me, unwelcome direction.

Overall I think of After as a darker-in-nature "What Dreams May Come"-style fantasy but without the over reliance on special effects. The film is definitely worth seeking out for a viewing.

Pacing

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 29 October 2012]

I think most people will have more issues with the pacing than the story. Of course that doesn't mean that those same people will not be able to see where this is going (no pun intended). But if you can get yourself into the mood of the movie, you might actually enjoy it. It's slow building and the atmosphere it builds (nice framing/photography) is really good.

Of course quite a lot is depending on the two main actors for obvious reasons. I think they're doing a pretty solid job. So while this is nothing to get over-excited about, it still can make for a nice little watch, if you like movies like that

Good mayhem

[cmovies-99674 · 6/10 · 4 October 2017]

PROS: A good pro to acknowledge was how intense the movie was. You truly got scared. I don't think a person could watch this and not be at the edge of their seats. At the beginning of the movie there was something off, which really set the whole tone/mood for the rest of the film. As the movie continued and the mayhem kept enlarging you ended up getting completely engulfed in the entirety of the movie. You were scared when the director wanted you to be, you were sad when the director wanted you to be, and you were amazed when the director wanted you too be which is remarkable because it is so rare to have a director to have full control over your emotions… Just simply remarkable.

CONS: Besides basic mishaps there were other large things that I felt actually hurt the movie. For starters the acting was meh. I don't feel that they really even were there. They could've been nonexistent and not even of hurt the storyline at all. This also says something about the storyline. Although I really respect creativity in horror movies, especially movies that make their own genre by themselves,but for me personally I din't really get what any of anything meant. Whats the door? Whats the fog? Whats the key? If anyone has any good answers please let me know!

www.chorror.com

How has no one mentioned the insane dissonance?

[agitprop-46-852053 · 2/10 · 5 July 2014]

Just finished watching this, and I immediately came here to find out how many people had been driven crazy by the absurdity of casting between the young Ana and Karolina Wydra's Ana.

The young version of Ana is blond and speaks accent-free idiomatic English, while the dark Karolina has a clearly halting Slavic manner as the adult Ana. It is so dissonant as to make the movie rather strange to watch--definitely breaks concentration.

I have to believe that poor Ryan Smith had the studio dump the casting on him, as no director with eyes & ears would ever seek out this level of dissonance.

A Familiar Template Executed Well

[Necroambulant · 7/10 · 25 May 2015]

I just watched the movie After on Netflix. I don't recall having heard anything about it previously, no reviews or anything of the sort. I was pleased with what I saw.

It's difficult to discuss the movie without giving anything away and there are other movies with similar premises, but this one was well-executed.

Two strangers from the same town meet one another on a bus, with a bit of abbreviated and failed flirtation, shortly before there is a severe accident. The next thing we know they are the only two people apparently alive and active in their town. There are no corpses and no signs of life beyond the two of them. Surrounding the town is a wall of black, swirling mist with lightning and thunder active within it...and the wall is closing in.

It doesn't take altogether too long before the two protagonists discuss the possibility that they might both be dead, so they aren't as stupid as the characters in a lot of movies along these lines. We get to know them both pretty well along the way, through surprisingly natural conversation and glimpses into the past, without a lot of unnecessary exposition.

I won't go into any further details, you'll need to watch it yourself if you want those, but the acting is good and the production quality is high enough that it doesn't feel like a low budget movie at all. It's always kind of nice to go into watching a movie without any idea what to expect and to be pleasantly surprised.

Hotch potch

[Emessar · 2/10 · 6 August 2014]

I just couldn't bond with this movie.

In my opinion: the characters didn't seem authentic, they were facing a very traumatic situation but still found time to trade flirty wise ass banter.

The genre seemed confused between horror / indie / thriller / teen-rom and the script was a festival of cliché.

The production value was good - but that's not enough.

What's the story with the girl being an All-American blonde haired kid turning into an adult brunette with - unless I'm mistaken - a European twang?

Low Budget Thriller That Delivers

[bit-78873 · 7/10 · 7 March 2021]

I wasn't expecting too much going in but this movie delivered. They took a classic storyline and kept it simple with good writing. The characters are well formed with decent dialogue that was a little spotty at times but generally not too bad.

It's not a big budget blockbuster so if you go in expecting something great then you'll probably be disappointed. For such a small budget though it definitely hits above its weight.

Overall a fun indie thriller.

A good enough thriller.

[gabriel_sanchez · 5/10 · 23 October 2016]

******** WARNING *********

Though this review contains spoilers, readers will be warned before it happens.

**************************

After (2012) is basically a psychological drama with some horror aspects thrown into it. A basic review would be simply saying: "this movie is fine! It may seem straightforward at some point, but it's done in a way that you want to keep watching to see how all this plot will closure. It doesn't disappoint!"

The acting is convincing enough at some parts and pretty much shallow at others, it tops out from other B-movies and there're definitely much shallower B-movies out there.

At this point, I can't go on without introducing some major spoilers, so for now on, this review will discuss some important plot elements deeply. Be warned!

I'm not sure about this whole monster idea. At some point on the plot, the main characters start being chased by a monster-like creature. I get the idea behind the monster, but I think it doesn't fit to the overall feeling of the movie. It just seems that the monster idea was just put into the movie like: "yeah, add that up, why not?". For a psychological drama thriller, it doesn't fit too much, specially when you get what the monster represents.

Another thing I didn't like that much was the ending. Don't get me wrong, the ending was fine, but I think the whole idea that Freddy was helping out Ana through his dreams or whatnot was kinda messy. Specially when they pretty much states that they are BOTH in a coma state! At the end, I was left with the impression that they went for the whole "Freddy helps Ana through his dreams" stuff at the last minute. I think the ending could be pretty much the same, but with both Ana and Freddy waking up from their coma state after leaving through that door. It would fit more into the storyline and wouldn't leave plot holes like the one I just mentioned. Then again, just a pet peeve of mine.

Overall, decent movie. It's worth a shot.

Low budget Gem

[jawp56 · 7/10 · 22 May 2021]

If you are comfortable with low budget films, and care little about special effects, this is a pleasant and intriguing Sci-Fi diversion. The writing and acting are top notch and the plotting is intricate and carefully paced.

It's a bonus having Steven Strait (The Expanse) and Karolina Wyndra (Agent Of S. H. I. E. L. D.) in the same small film.

The twist or revealtion toward the end is not too surprising

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 6 April 2023]

(2012) After PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR

Co-written and directed by Ryan Whitaker with Ana (Karolina Wydra) and Freddy (Steven Strait) who happen to ride on the same bus, toward a small part of town called "Pearl". The next scene has that bus getting into an accident with Ana waking up on her own bed, unbeknownst to her that there is no one in town other than the person she rode on the same bus with. If I were to reveal anymore would be to spoil it. The only thing I am going to say is that if one were to watch enough movies that has a similar ending to this movie, one would not be too surprised about it anymore.

Good ideas and effects in this low budget indie

[robertemerald · 8/10 · 11 October 2020]

I found After an easy watch, but then again, I love interesting sci fi and horror, particularly if there's a good monster. The monster in this was ace, fast and roaring, but admittedly you don't get to see too much of it, in fact, there's only one really decent close up scene, but it is at least a good look. That's better than many other monster movies. The two leads were easy on the eye and acted well, and the story was different at least, if not ground breaking. Overall the movie was put together well, with a few decent effects, good editing and pace, and tension.

Really good for low budget

[chexsmate · 7/10 · 1 August 2021]

I liked this movie and the few twists they threw in! Definitely worth a watch!

Uncompelling Characters, Horribly Written Romance, and Trite Tropes

[doctorarzt · 3/10 · 31 May 2014]

Where to begin? The plot is completely overdone and makes no real attempts to transcend its familiars. It's the mentally challenged little brother to LOST and all other "are they dead?" cliché's. In order to stand out it would need great characters and a story; instead 'After' continuously dredges the bottom of superior stories that use this trope such as "the mysterious character connection," without bothering to make the audience actually hope for any connection between the two to begin with.

You could lay out the plot points and see the potential, I won't spoil them for you, but it is a lack of execution and an absence of basic story-craft that kills "After" in the end.

A Giant Middle Finger to the Audience

[riverzak · 1/10 · 28 August 2018]

This movie suffers from the unforgivable sin. The characters are too stupid for me to want to care whether they live or die.

When Freddy and Ana are in the gun shop not only do they select a bolt action rifle (slower to reload and shoot) instead of, say a semi-automatic, which any gun shop would carry, but they select only one weapon when each could have carried multiple weapons. In the church, Freddy opens a window and sees the creature sitting motionless in the street. Instead of safely shooting from the window he leaves the safety of the church to confront it (unsuccessfully) in the street.

Yes, you can say that these were only dream versions of the characters and aren't expected to act rationally, but in that case you can say that being dream characters we shouldn't really care about them at all. Also, at that point it isn't definite that everything is just a dream. It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that a finale of "and then she awoke and discovered it had all been a dream" is just a giant middle finger to the audience.

Interesting romance

[begob · 6/10 · 1 May 2015]

Two lonely people in the valley of the shadow of death struggle for freedom.

Lots of praise for this - acting, pace, and it looks good. A two-hander, with the lead male particularly good, and dialogue excellent in parts. I liked the scene on the bus, and the analysis of the bedroom - "You sleep alone, always on one side, pillow on the other side - keeping your hopes in". Not enough humour, though.

Story-wise it's difficult to criticise. A bit sci-fi, a bit allegory, bit psychological, symblogicaltastic. But definitely romance and not a horror, despite the CGI monster.

I preferred to see it as a pragmatic pact between doomed depressives, but there was a load of back story suggesting fate brings lovers together, which was confirmed by the swelling strings in the slightly over-cheesed ending. Do individuals seek the one size that fits us all? I guess the answer divides optimists from pessimists. Overall this is Josh Wheedon style.

I likesed it, but left feeling a bit confused.

WARNING : Do not be fooled by the plot.

[marash2315 · 1/10 · 1 May 2015]

Greetings

Just watched this movie and I had to come here and warn people about this..

The best part about the whole movie was reading the plot on IMDb. Sounds Interesting, right?? Thats all the movie has got going for itself. I regret watching this movie and wasting 1 and half hour of my life.

The acting is terrible here. The female lead did a bit better job than the main dude. But both were terrible in the end. It could have been better if the story unravelled slowly keeping the main mystery hidden. But they just gives it away right in the beginning. After that all the tense scenes are completely spoiled by bad acting or bad script(What were they thinking by putting all those cheesy lines in there??).

The end was so horrible that it just don't make any sense at all. I mean i understood what the end was but it was just a really bad ending,Completely wrong ending. What were they trying to do with that post credit scene?

The director and the graphics team tried to make it good with what they had, but failed completely because of wrong choices.

All in all it was a terrible. If you are thinking of watching it, Please don't. Its not worth your time.its not even 1/10 th interesting as the plot sounds.

After, we live what our own imagination created

[mario_c · 6/10 · 3 March 2013]

AFTER is a dark thriller with some good ideas but also with some let downs at crucial parts. From the beginning we understand what this "after" of the main title means as the plot never hides they are in another dimension... The story becomes more interesting when they realize they are in a coma and they still have a chance to wake up, but then appears the let downs I did refer. It becomes too melodramatic, and the ending I might say is quite disappointing. The good things are especially this main idea of the plot: when they are in coma they conceive this "world" with their own memories and life experiences of the past and they have to fight against their own imagination! The tension created is good (but not great) and the CGI and the photography are very good for what seems to be a low budget… The actors work is not bad either. I score it 6/10.

Fantasy Flop

[thelastblogontheleft · 2/10 · 4 December 2016]

Freddy and Ana are just two strangers on a bus when they are suddenly hurtled into a hazy, dreamlike world where it's a race against time to figure out where exactly they are and how to return to the world they once knew. It follows many familiar paths as far as the typical post-apocalyptic genre goes — it's hard not to be bored at times by the lack of originality — but it definitely puts more of a fantasy spin on the trope.

I honestly think they drove the romance side of things a little hard. Freddy is interested in Ana pretty much immediately — he's so persistently flirty with her on the bus that I'm almost happy when it crashes. But I'm also someone who is generally annoyed by anything overtly romantic (or sexual) unless it is crucial or somehow beneficial to the plot, which in this case I really don't think it was — I think it just made it a whole lot more cheesy.

Their acting definitely left something to be desired, and the script was just so boring that you really couldn't bring yourself to be invested in either of them. There are times when you could basically predict what the next lines would be before the actors would even speak.

I did love the wall of blackness surrounding them — it reminded me a lot of "The Nothing" from The Neverending Story. Their efforts to figure out what exactly was happening and how much time they had to escape before they were swallowed whole definitely added some tension.

Ultimately, while I didn't dislike the storyline — like I said, it was an interesting fantasy twist on the whole "last people on earth" idea — it just felt like too much was going on at once. I felt like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be post-apocalyptic, a monster movie, a psychological thriller, or if it wanted to try to be some kind of quirky indie romance, and while I don't think it's impossible to combine them all, this particular film just did so poorly. The romance aspect made it way too cutesy and sweet, which I think really distracted from the story and that time and effort could have been spent making it a bit more deep and complex. Not to mention I'm supposed to believe that Ana finds out that Freddy was, in fact, responsible for her aunt's death — something she has been drowning in guilt over for HER ENTIRE LIFE — and then she falls in love with the guy? STAHP.

They were almost on to something with this indie flick

[Robert_duder · 6/10 · 17 May 2014]

I thought that After read well but I was cautiously optimistic because more times than not indie horror flicks don't usually end up impressing very well. I can honestly say that I wasn't disappointed with After. I enjoyed the film and thought it definitely gave off a creepy and intelligent concept. The unfortunate thing is that it feels like they didn't really know what direction they wanted to go in and while the film starts out promising it starts to fall apart and by the end you feel like they are truly grasping for straws. The story itself is exactly what I love about horror. Isolation, loneliness, mystery, the small town with everyone missing...its very King and Koontz and that is a very high compliment. However, both of those men know how to tie up a story and this one builds up these characters and what is happening to them and then leaves you disappointed. Even the "major" twist to the story is not impressive because you're already seeing the holes in the script by then. The production value for being an indie film is actually quite good and I was very impressed with the special effects. They are smart and use the monsters well without putting them in your face and the film never feels cheesy, not an easy feat for an indie horror.

We have essentially two people in the entire film as stars. One is quite impressive and the other feels excruciatingly forced and awkward. Steven Strait gives a very solid performance. The script doesn't give him a ton to work with and he actually makes the supernatural experience believable and draws you into his character. I think a major flaw to this film is the casting of Karolina Wydra who just feels like she is bored and doesn't want to even try with this character. She actually has a lot of depth and background to play with but she just doesn't seem like her heart is in it. I have seen her in other things (most notably in TV's House) and I know she is a good actress so I think perhaps this was just a one off paycheck for her. The chemistry between them is so important and yet there is so little. Their best scene is early in the film when they are on the bus.

I'm certain some would say that After is "same old, same old" because there are some familiar elements from similar genre films. That doesn't bother me in the least. The story itself has some unique flare and that works well enough. Ryan Smith is both co-writer and director and I hate sounding like a broken record but my rule of thumb is that 95% of writers should never direct their own material. Good writer doesn't mean good director but usually with indie films this is what happens. Smith doesn't do a bad job. As I said, the special effects border excellent for the budget, the style and use of darkness and close shots on the bus are all very well done. The script is the bigger problem and not because its bad but simply because it needs so much more editing and feels very rushed. However, people like me that love this corner of the horror genre won't be entirely disappointed. It wasn't a complete waste and I found it very watchable. I wouldn't necessarily watch it again but it was a solid effort. 6/10

Waste of time

[ralph-68433 · 1/10 · 4 May 2015]

I usually never write any movie review. But had to take the trouble for this one. This movie is just a waste of time, with no sense in the story line. Wasted my ~1 hour watching this defective piece of movie... Regrets..... i wonder how the girl gets to wakeup, leave home, drive all the way to the hospital, and Then to find out that she's all alone and nobody around...? still wondering how the movie title (After) corresponds to the story described... In summary, the movie as a whole is very disappointing. i'm currently running out of critics to describe, but need to fill the 10 lines required by IMDb to post this review. But certainly the movie is full of bad parts. Do not watch it!

Definitely original . . . and a great story!

[charles000 · 8/10 · 26 June 2016]

I freely admit, at first going in, I was more than a bit skeptical, but the key here is, you have to stick with it to really appreciate the concept, and the message.

Kudos to a well crafted story, even if it was produced with a very minimal budget. Sometimes, a good film doesn't need huge production extravaganza effects and big name stars to convey a concept that will stick with you, make you remember and perhaps think just a bit.

This is just such an example.

I won't even attempt to explain the story as it unfolds, as that would risk possible unintentional spoilers, so nary a clue here.

I'm not familiar with Jason Parish or Ryan Smith, but they deserve considerable credit for creating so much with so little, and really making it work.

Karolina Wydra's performance was maybe a bit overly expressive, but then again, she is something of a cartoon character come to life as it were, so perhaps that caricature is the perfect match for her part here. OK, that's just a clue . . .

Anyway, even if this is not your usual cup of tea, I'd say give it a watch, you're not likely to regret the time spent.

After life, before death, there's a medium!

[Reno-Rangan · 7/10 · 4 October 2016]

I happy that B movies exist. Because mainstream filmmaker won't do this kind of simple experiment. Actually there's nothing new in this film, the same old storyline. There are hundreds of similar films, even you can compare to the recent 'If I Stay', but the thing is it was differently told tale. The director's first feature film, and actors are not the popular ones, but with a decent story, everything looks so fine. The graphics for this kind of budget, not really bad. They even had a decent CGI character. Actually, most of the film takes place in the dark time, so they had all the advantage, hence the production was very neat.

Kind of a limited cast film, but very occasionally a few characters, including small background crowd appeared. When the twist comes in the final act, you will realise it is the same old crap, but well maintained suspense in the initial parts. Those content balance and good development is what worked in favour of the film. So the overall film was very entertaining, because I was not expecting any big from it after learning how it was received. Not for everyone, but I also suggest don't believe in those negative remarks on this. It's definitely worth a watch, even if you are not going to rate it low. So I hope you make a good decision.

6.5/10

Remake of a Twilight Zone episode.

[suite92 · 4/10 · 3 December 2016]

The initial tableaux: Nurse Ana and graphic novelist Freddy ride an almost deserted bus back to their common home town of Pearl. As it turns out, both live on Canon street. There's an accident, but both seem to wake up the next morning. The kicker is that there is no telephone service and no other people.

Delineation of conflicts: The protagonists have to realize that they are dead. The two leads here are more stupid than most. Instead of being an 18 minute film, this dog lasts for 90 minutes.

This is an old horror cliché dating back at least to the Twilight Zone, the early version in black and white. More recently, The Frozen (also 2012) did it again.

Early in their explorations of Pearl and environs, they see a storm that surrounds the town on all sides. It moves in at 0.08 miles per hour, so they have about two or three days total. Attempts to penetrate the slow dark storm are rebuffed soundly.

Resolution: Do they find an escape? Be sure to watch the final 3 minutes.

Total disappointment

[shafq7-903-405162 · 1/10 · 3 May 2015]

Sorry but this movie is total disappointment. Just it plot described in IMDb.com made us expect much from this and led us watch. But from start to last second there is no movie. Total waste of time. From beginning i was expecting some would happen sensible. A girl and boy after travel in bus and some background suspicious blast heard and they found their selves alone in town. Actually they both were in coma state as mentioned in the movie, they got past scenes from their lives seem some connection with what happened in after. But in the end nothing connection or conclusion got. Total Disappointment. Don't waste your time watching this awful movie.

For once all that driving around running from the invisible monster has a bit more substance.

[face-819-933726 · 7/10 · 1 June 2014]

I am surprised at how well the good out weighs the bad of this movie. An obviously lower budget movie, but still well produced, and executed. In a nutshell this movie is a Silent Hill clone with a better payoff. As much as I like Silent Hill movies they always feel really empty in the emptiness, and you always know that what you are seeing is not real, where as in After you are never completely certain of who, how, or especially what these two souls will do next. I really did Enjoy the story told here, both sides, and some strong emotion is brought up for both sides. The encircling darkness as it closes in, and the extra layers that the childhood stories add to it is really solidly presented in my opinion. The keys at the door, and even the slobbering ever stalking monster are very nicely handled. Great acting from all of the characters, and the score was well developed to keep you in the right mood when you should be. So absolutely and as I mentioned surprisingly this movie gets a recommend from me, and not just to kill time, but for a slightly new take on the driving in circles from the monsters type story, and some really decent smoke effects in the middle of a well produced movie.

Jesse of Jesse.ca