Just finished Aftersun... Wow. I'm wrecked.

Okay, so I decided to finally dive into some of these 'critically acclaimed' movies, right? Figured I'd start with Aftersun. I went in totally blind, knowing basically nothing. Just finished it and, uh, wow. I'm officially emotionally wrecked. Seriously, someone get me a tissue. I don't even usually cry during movies. The whole vibe was so…real. Like, you're watching home movies, but they're piecing together something heavier than just some vacation memories. The way Sophie (both young and adult versions!) is trying to understand her dad, Calum, is so relatable. That scene in the arcade, where he's singing karaoke and seems so happy but then you catch glimpses of something else…that hit me hard. And the camcorder footage? The way it cuts back and forth made it feel like I was actually there, sifting through memories with her. I gotta say, I'm really impressed by the…subtlety? It's not a movie that spells everything out for you. You have to read into the small moments, the silences, the way Paul Mescal (Calum) holds himself. I can't even put my finger on exactly WHY it affected me so much. Maybe because it reminded me of my own relationship with my dad, or just the universal feeling of trying to understand people you love. Either way, I'm going to be thinking about this one for a while. Anyone else see this and have the same reaction? Also, just throwing it out there - did anyone else get the sense that Calum was struggling with his mental health? I don't wanna make assumptions, but there were a few moments that felt…significant. Okay, I'm done rambling. Gonna go listen to some happy music now. Gotta shake off these feels! Seriously though, good movie. Recommend. Even if it did punch me in the gut.