After. A Review.

Watch the film here: http://vimeo.com/115117282

There are plenty of films that deal with the outbreak of the apocalypse, with zombies being in particular vogue in recent years. It is understandable, the advent of the risen dead makes for extreme action and compelling drama - with humanity trying to save itself. But what happens when humanity fails, what happens to relationships and people when hope is lost, what happens after? This is the premise of After, the first feature length film from writer/director Chris Bone.

After drops the audience right into the middle of a wasteland that was the United Kingdom, and into the life of David Taylor - a man haunted by the horrors of the Zombie event that has devastated his world. As David struggles to find the basics he needs to survive, he seems also to grasp for the will to carry on. He is not alone for long, as he soon encounters other survivors and hoards of the undead.

It is said that in filmmaking there is never enough time, money, or light - and nowhere is this more true than at the student level. It is commendable then that director Chris Bone has crafted a film with great production value, emotion clout, and some stunning visuals. I’m sure Chris would love to have had more time, money, and light, but he has certainly achieved a great deal with limited resources. Along with Jessica Wells, Chris wrote a tight script that played to the strengths of student filmmakers, using a small number of well chosen locations (more on that later), a small cast, and a genre that audiences are familiar with - the team that created After put themselves in position to make a professional looking film. 

The script keeps dialogue to a minimum, however the cast do a good job with what is there. The banter between David (George Willis) and fellow survivor Jamie (Stephen Odubola) goes beyond cliche machismo, coming off more as forced levity from people who have obviously lost everything. This is no small achievement from cast members who look young for the roles they are playing, Willis and Odubola likely didn’t have many takes to get things right - but obviously made the most of the time they had. Benjamin Cyrus Clark brings gravitas to the role of Allen Hardy, though is perhaps short served by the story and script, I’m sure given more screen time he would have made an even more compelling and perhaps sympathetic antagonist. Shannon Alice King also is given little time to develop as a survivor David meets, her grim delivery adds to the gritty tone that Bone establishes in a scene which hammers home how cruel the world of After can be, however we are not given enough reason to shocked by her character's arc. 

After is bleak, and makes no bones about it. From the early desolate shots, to the gripping finale frame, the whole film achieves an impressive oppressive tone. One of the film’s biggest strengths is the locations; an empty church, a derelict building, an overgrown railway, all add up to a film that looks professional. These locations, coupled with imaginative cinematography, create some truly striking images that stick with the audience long after. Unfortunately there is some inconsistency, which is often a problem with student films. There are some superb shots where it is clear that time and attention has been devoted, and then there are occasions where, for whatever reason, less care has been taken. Some matched actions could have been done slightly better, some shots the focus looks a tad off, and this is no major criticism because overall the film is a visual treat, however given more time it is these small things that could have been improved on. 

Special mention must go to the soundtrack composed by Adiescar Chase. Testament to the fact that less is more, the haunting strings have shades of the excellent soundtrack for The Last of Us (an outstanding horror video game for those of you that can’t get enough living dead), perfectly complementing the stark images on screen to suck the audience into the world of After. The scene where all the elements came together for me is when David and Jamie hide under a bridge, there is no dialogue and the audience is given only a partial view of what is happening, the music rises and falls, drawing out the tension as we fear for the protagonists life. This is the greatest success of After, because in that moment I was not thinking how well done this is for a student film, I was completely engrossed, and then after I thought how some professional directors could learn from the way script, cinematography, and soundtrack complement each other in a perfect way. 

So back to time, money and light - with more of all three, After could have been improved. The climactic ending seemed as though it could have used more time, with more money it could have been given a bigger scale, and more light I’m sure would have made the director very happy. However, operating in the real world, the team behind After should be very proud of what they have produced; at its very worst it is an ambitious student film made by passionate people, but when it works, After is excellent. 

For a 30-minute film, After has given me a lot to talk about and I could go on - I could probably write 500 words about the scene with the french-window alone. Suffice it to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and it is great to see what can be achieved when someone cares enough about a project that they overcome the obvious limitations and create something that the entire cast and crew can be proud of, and should surprise and delight audiences. 

WHO: Stephen Odubola impresses, stealing our sympathy in the short time we see him.

WHAT: The bridge scene, because who needs time, money, or light when you have imagination?

WHY: Because you could do a lot worse on Netflix, it’s worth your time. 

WHEN: I’m sure you have something you should be doing right now, watch this instead.

Watch the film here: http://vimeo.com/115117282