"After" (2012)

by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden

In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s After, Ryan Whitaker's 2012 sci-fi thriller which was recently given a North American release courtesy of Danse Macabre.

Synopsis

Steven Strait (10 Thousand Years BC) and Karolina Wydra (True Blood) are two bus crash survivors who wake from a coma to discover they are the only inhabitants of a small town slowly being consumed by a monstrous storm. Are they dead or is it a nightmare? As they attempt to find a way out, they soon learn that they are not alone. Inside the mist is a creature hell bent on preventing their escape.

The Good

Joseph: The performances from Wydra and Strait are earnest, and the creature is well designed.

Mike: Interesting premise that relies on the ability of its two leads to carry the story forward and keep the audience interested. Fortunately, both Wydra and Strait are believable in their roles and have a decent chemistry that makes them both likable — the fact that they don’t immediately appeal to one another adds to their growth and adds that touch of realism.

The creature from the mist is a wicked looking thing that comes across as the evil spawn of a creature from "Silent Hill" and a genetic monster from "Resident Evil" and which appears to be created mainly with practical means.

The Bad

Joseph: A bit too bloody for younger viewers but feeling like a Young Adult dark fantasy novel adaptation, and too tame for even the most casual of horror movie fans, After comes across as a film made for all age levels but one that is too boring for fear-fare aficionados. Add to that the fact that we have seen most of the elements before — from obvious Stephen King nods to "The Twilight Zone" circumstances — and that there is about the same amount of wandering around as the first two acts of any given found footage horror movie, and you can see that the film lacks in the originality department. I’m not a fan of bickering main characters, either, because I am of the mindset that we should invest in them, and constant arguing is not the key to that, for me. The ultimate knock for me, though, is the ending, which I won’t spoil but comes off as ludicrous given the big reveal that is given during the third act.

Mike: After is a bit of a schizophrenic mess, unsure of what it wants to be. Sci-fi? Romance? Supernatural? Some kind of metaphysical theological character study? Not that this is an impossible feat, of course, but nothing seems to gel well here with elements leaning too heavily towards one thing at a time. A little more effort towards focusing on one aspect and making the others serve the main story would have gone a long way towards improving the overall product. As it is, the story beats are too predictable and nothing that is revealed comes across as any real type of surprise except for the ending which doesn't really work.

The Verdict

Joseph: After just didn’t work for me. Scattered in its search for a genre — to be clear, it doesn’t need to stick to one, but if feels almost as lost as its two main characters — derivative in its storytelling, and with characters whose relationship didn’t grab me, I find the film difficult to recommend.

Mike: If you’re looking for a film with an interesting premise and that has characters worth investing in, After might be worth a look. However, be aware that the movie is never quite sure what it wants to be and instead of combining different genres to make a winning combination it only succeeds in changing its focus in every scene which makes for a confusing experience.

After, from Danse Macabre, is now streaming and available on DVD

After