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Common sense media reviewers.

Predictable college-set adaptation has partying, sex.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Peers, including friends and romantic partners, ca

Tessa stands up for herself in social situations,

Tessa and Hardin are shown in progressively more i

A use of "s--t," plus "hell," "damn." Mouthed but

One mention of The Gap.

College-age characters drink beer and hard liquor,

Parents need to know that After -- a college-set romance based on Anna Todd's best-selling novel -- deals frankly with sex. Despite a lack of actual nudity, several scenes feel very sexually explicit and include kissing, intimate touching, implied oral sex, and the loss of virginity. But the main characters …

Positive Messages

Peers, including friends and romantic partners, can be cruel to one another, but deeper relationships are shown to last. Teens can learn that being mean doesn't feel good. College is portrayed as a time of experimentation, self-discovery. Peer pressure -- to party, play drinking games, break rules, skip class, get a tattoo, etc. -- is seen as inevitable but surmountable. Characters show it's cool -- even attractive -- to read books.

Positive Role Models

Tessa stands up for herself in social situations, doesn't shy away from intellectual arguments in class. She insists that her mother trust her to make good decisions when she moves away to college. Families are mostly flawed or broken, forcing young adults to face lingering childhood scars, unrealistic parental expectations. Characters give each other second chances after they make hurtful mistakes. Tessa's female friends prove untrustworthy. Hardin, others drink to escape problems.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Tessa and Hardin are shown in progressively more intimate scenes: light to heavy kissing and touching, swimming/bathing together, implied oral sex, Tessa's first time having sex. Hardin confirms Tessa is sure before opening condom; focus is on Tessa's face. Two characters kiss, undress each other in bed, with Tessa awake in same dorm room. No characters shown in less than underwear. All sexual scenes are consensual.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

A use of "s--t," plus "hell," "damn." Mouthed but unspoken use of "f--k."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

College-age characters drink beer and hard liquor, sometimes to point of getting drunk; they also smoke, vape. "Weed" is mentioned. Tessa is offered, even pressured to drink and smoke at parties. Tessa's roommate seems to party most weeknights; she hangs out with a rougher crowd. Hardin gets drunk, leaves trail of broken glass in his home when he feels jealous.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that After -- a college-set romance based on Anna Todd's best-selling novel -- deals frankly with sex. Despite a lack of actual nudity, several scenes feel very sexually explicit and include kissing, intimate touching, implied oral sex, and the loss of virginity. But the main characters (played by Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin) don't rush into sex despite their intense attraction, and all scenes are consensual. There's both same-sex and opposite-sex kissing. Parents are portrayed as struggling to overcome flaws themselves, including alcoholism and broken marriages. Partying, with alcohol and drugs, is depicted as a fact of college life. Infrequent swearing includes a use of "s--t." Teens may pick up positive messages about love and friendship, but they could also walk away with superficial notions of romance and college life. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (57)
• Kids say (159)

Based on 57 parent reviews

Good overall film

What's the story.

AFTER begins on the day that Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) is leaving home for college. Her mother, Carol (Selma Blair), is struggling to let go, especially when she meets her daughter's partying dorm roommate, but she's reassured because Tessa has always been responsible and hardworking. Tessa has also had the same boyfriend since she was a kid -- but that changes when she meets handsome, British-accented, poetry-reciting rebel Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The pair are set up in a Truth or Dare challenge at a raucous college party where the straitlaced Tessa feels woefully out of place. They bond, and then spar over their readings of classic novels. The more Tessa falls for Hardin and starts letting go of her rules and exploring her own desire, the more her structured world begins falling apart.

Is It Any Good?

Despite a predictable storyline and clichéd romance, After works, thanks in large part to the heartfelt performance of its young star, Josephine Langford. As Tessa, Langford appears in almost every scene, and with the camera regularly close in on her face, she conveys a sincere mix of self-restraint and hunger for new experiences, confidence and fragility. She's a credible college first-year student, and we believe her and feel for her as a young woman falling in love for the first time. What comes off as less authentic is the story's Pride and Prejudice -inspired romance, based on the cult One Direction fan fiction published by author Anna Todd on the site Wattpad and later as a book series.

The tale requires that Hardin appear to be both Tessa's opposite -- brooding, experienced, and rebellious, despite his father's top university post and wealth -- and also her equally vulnerable soulmate. Tiffin has the budding charisma and looks (he is a Fiennes, after all) to play the romantic lead, but his character here is contrived mostly as a device for Tessa's evolution. After is likely to attract a heavily female audience, but it could struggle to find its market. More mature viewers might find it too formulaic, while parents may keep younger teens away because of the explicit content.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about whether After offers a realistic portrayal of college life, and what high schoolers can expect when they go to college themselves. What are you looking forward to? What makes you nervous? How do you think this compares to other movies about college?

For those who've read Todd's book, what did the film change about the characters, story, and setting? What's your opinion about those changes?

How did you feel when you found out Tessa's friends had deceived her? Have you ever experienced or done something similar? What were the consequences?

Tessa faces a lot of peer pressure. What are some strategies she uses to avoid doing things she doesn't feel comfortable with? How do you handle peer pressure?

How does the movie depict sex ? Is it different from how you've seen it portrayed in other movies? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 12, 2019
• On DVD or streaming : July 9, 2019
• Cast : Josephine Langford , Hero Fiennes Tiffin , Selma Blair
• Director : Jenny Gage
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Aviron Pictures
• Genre : Romance
• Topics : Book Characters
• Run time : 106 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : sexual content and some college partying
• Last updated : November 26, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Screen Rant

The after movies ranked from worst to best.

After from 2019 spawned multiple sequels like After We Collided and After We Fell. We rank the romantic drama franchise, worst to best.

• The After series movies have been both successful and controversial, with strong differences in opinions between audiences and critics.
• The fifth movie, After Everything, breaks the formula by focusing on Hardin's point of view and delving into his backstory, providing a better understanding of his character.
• The first movie, After, sets up an intense relationship between Tessa and Hardin, but lacks strong drama and character development, with the chemistry between the leads being the standout element.

The After movie series has grown quickly, with five movies being released in just as many years, but the After series movies aren't all that consistent. Based on Anna Todd's novel series of the same name, the After movies follow the tumultuous relationship of studious Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) and rebellious Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The two young lovers must endure opposition from friends, diverting lives, and endless familial drama. Despite their attraction, their relationship is full of problems; Tessa struggles to trust Hardin, while Hardin has trouble reforming his own belligerence.

The After series movies have been so successful that a fifth movie ( After Everything ) about Tessa and Hardin's relationship was released despite there only being four books about the same era. However, audiences and critics have strongly different opinions on the After series . Despite poor reviews, audiences have continued to enjoy Tessa and Hardin’s story — the first film, After , received a Teen Choice Award in 2019. There's a lot of disparity concerning the After movie series, which provokes the question: which of the After series movies are the best, and which are the worst?

After Movie Family Tree: Tessa & Hardin's Relatives Explained

5 after ever happy (2022).

While the straight-laced Tessa falling in love with the rebellious Hardin was the original movie's appeal, it got stale by the third movie, and the fourth in the series doubles down on that. After Ever Happy continues exactly the same formula, as Hardin acts like a bad boy once again, even though he seemingly learned the error of his ways in the previous film. While After Ever Happy breaks the formula by ending with the two characters breaking up, even that plot twist had already been done in the first of the After series movies. After Ever Happy is the worst of the After movies because it doesn't take the formula the movies have established and give the audience anything new . However, the film's heartbreaking ending still has some impact given that there are four films worth of history between them. The movie makes for one of the starkest contrasts between critics and fans though. The movie has a 0% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes (from only six reviews), but a 92% from audience members.

Watch on Netflix

4 After We Fell (2021)

The series’ third installment, After We Fell , has neither a coherent nor compelling plot. For the majority of the runtime, a single issue persists: Hardin is enraged by Tessa’s decision to move to Seattle for her new job. While the couple deals with Hardin’s anger issues, a handful of disjointed story threads occur: they meet Tessa’s long-lost father, Hardin’s mother gets remarried, and, in an unfounded twist, Hardin discovers who his real father is. After We Fell's cast and characters are misused; Tessa especially lacks any kind of purpose in the movie, while Hardin has lost the humility he learned over the previous two films. This chapter of the After stories simply tries to do too much in a compressed time period and it results in the movie in which the characters get the least depth.

3 After Everything (2023)

The fifth of the After movies is After Everything , and it breaks the formula just a bit . The movie provides the audience with Hardin's point of view entirely. It focuses on the time period after he and Tessa go their separate ways because she feels betrayed by him using their romance as the story for his debut novel. With Hardin having spent all the movies in the After series going back and forth as a bad boy who just can't help himself and a sympathetic love interest, this movie gives the audience a better window into his head. It makes it appear that Hardin genuinely is trying to be a better person, expands more on his backstory before meeting Tessa, and is also set in the gorgeous Portugal for the bulk of the movie. The middle of the movie where Hardin reconnects with a woman from his past that he wronged, is where the movie really works. The ending is slightly rushed, but it's still a better After movie than the third and fourth installments.

Where Was After Everything Filmed?

2 after (2019).

For the beginning of such an intense relationship, After is relatively unremarkable. While After changes book elements for the better, it lacks strong drama. The film’s opening act is solid, establishing Tessa as a sheltered woman whose attraction to Hardin goes against her base principles. Unfortunately, the rest of the film fails to provide any particular appeal. While the chemistry between Tessa and Hardin grows significantly by the end, both characters remain fairly undeveloped. The film's climactic twist falls short of its intended impact; by keeping the dare that started their relationship a secret, the build-up to their break-up is weakened. However, Langford’s performance shines as After 's sole spark.

A prequel to the After movies focusing on Hardin's life before Tessa, and a sequel to the movies focusing on the next generation, are both in development.

1 After We Collided (2020)

After We Collided sees Dylan Sprouse in a refreshingly straight-laced role as he's introduced as a potential love interest for Tessa. This sequel takes place one month after the first film’s break-up, and After We Collided makes for the best After movie . Tessa excels at her internship at a publishing company, while Hardin punishes himself for his deceit. The pair reunite, and Hardin confronts his past trauma that stunts their compatibility. The movie switches up the format, becoming a scandalous romantic comedy. After We Collided has an enjoyable, though confused, mix of extreme drama and light laughs. Though the plot is badly paced and falls apart at the climax, the film provides an engaging look into a wild romance and is by far the best After series movie.

Here's How to Watch the 'After' Movies in Order (Chronologically and by Release Date)

Catch up with Tessa and Hardin's romance.

Love doesn’t always come with a happily ever after. Based on the best-selling novel by Anna Todd , the After film series follows the studious and innocent Tessa Young ( Josephine Langford ) and the dangerously rebellious Hardin Scott ( Hero Fiennes Tiffin ) as they find themselves in a passionate yet tumultuous relationship. Now a hit sensation, the After series explores what it takes to keep the fire alive in a relationship. New to the After series? Here’s how you should watch the films in order.

Editor's Note: This piece was updated on November 6, 2023.

'After' Movies in Order of Release

• After - April 12, 2019
• After We Collided - October 23, 2020
• After We Fell - September 30, 2021
• After Ever Happy - September 7, 2022
• After Everything - September 13, 2023

'After' Movies in Chronological Order

After (2019).

After introduces Tessa Young, a high school graduate who’s just about to start her first day at Washington Central University as an undeclared economics major. On the day of her move-in, she’s accompanied by her caring yet rather controlling mother, Carol Young, and her high school sweetheart Noah Porter. Upon her arrival, Tessa is greeted by Steph Jones, Tessa’s roommate, and her girlfriend, Tristan. Unlike the studious Tessa, Steph and Tristan are all about the party scene. Nevertheless, Tessa gets along with her new friends and settles down at her dorm. Steph invites Tessa to a party at a frat house, to which she reluctantly agrees. There, Tessa gets to know the rest of Steph and Tristan’s clique, which just so happens to include Hardin Scott, a mysterious boy she met in her dorm room. The group suggests playing Truth or Dare, and Tessa is dared to lock lips with Hardin. She bluntly refuses and escapes the party, accidentally wandering around Hardin’s house. Hardin suddenly enters and the two share a lingering moment before Tessa snaps out of it and leaves.

For the next couple of days, Hardin persuades Tessa to come with him to a lake house. Before they know it, the two start flirting with each other and eventually kiss in the water. But the passion doesn’t last long, and later on, in the movie, it’s become apparent that Hardin is adamant about the idea of dating. Heartbroken, she continues to ignore Hardin, but her heart softens after Hardin gets himself into an emotional outburst at home. Despite her friends’ warnings to take things slow with Hardin, Tessa doesn’t listen to them and continues a seemingly perfect dating life with him. Everyone is always telling her that Hardin is up to something. Although she ignores them at first, Hardin, under the pressure of his friends, finally confesses to Tessa that Hardin is dared to make Tessa make fall in love with him and break her heart in the end. Tessa realizes that her relationship with Hardin is just one big lie.

After spending some time at home, she returns to university and applies for an internship at Vance Publishing. She spends more time in her classes. On the day of her English paper essay submission, her professor puts her aside and gives her an essay Hardin submitted, which sounds like it’s meant for Tessa. After class is dismissed, Tessa and Landon sit on the campus lawn. She reads the essay, which happens to be a letter from Hardin professing his feelings for her.

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After We Collided

After We Collided starts off with Hardin dreaming of Tessa, only to wake up all alone in his car, upset that Tessa hasn’t been replying to his texts. As he exits his car, a homeless man who is desperately looking for someone abruptly approaches him, prompting Hardin to shoo him away. Meanwhile, at Vance Publishing, Tessa begins her first day as a bright intern. However, things go down south after an awkward encounter with her new co-worker, Trevor Matthews. Tessa is immediately welcomed by secretary Kimberly (who is revealed to be Vance’s romantic interest), and Christian Vance, the founder of Vance Publishing.

One night, Tessa attends a nightclub with her co-workers to pique a potential investor's interest. However, after too many drinks, things got hot and heavy. From dancing with strangers to one accidental kiss, Tessa, in her drunken stupor, calls Hardin and gloats about how much she’s having now. Trevor suddenly finds her and the two return to their hotel room. Tessa accidentally spills her wine onto Trevor’s clothes and asks him to undress, so she can wash off the stains. All of a sudden, Hardin storms into the room, angry at a half-naked Trevor and cursing him out of the room. The pair’s rage doesn’t last long, and eventually, the two sleep with each other.

But their peaceful reunion doesn’t last long. Tessa soon comes to terms with the complicated mess that is in her work life and comes to terms with her true feelings for Hardin. Things get even more complex with Hardin’s family coming into the mix, with his mother Trish Daniels suddenly visiting him in the States and befriending Tessa. Tessa also goes on a venture searching for her long-lost father, who appears in the ending in the most surprising way possible.

After We Fell

In After We Fell , Tessa and Hardin are now happily living together, but deep down, they’re still incredibly insecure about themselves. Tessa receives an offer to work for Vance Publishing at their Seattle office. While she’s excited about the opportunity, Hardin doesn’t share the same sentiment. He’s afraid that their long-distance relationship wouldn’t work and more trouble ensues. Also, it doesn’t help that Hardin initially wants to bring Tessa to London after graduation.

Despite this, Tessa takes up the opportunity to move to Seattle. The jealousy-ridden Hardin becomes incredibly jealous, especially since she’ll be in the same city as Trevor. Meanwhile, Tessa has other struggles to tend to; she’s trying to reconnect with her estranged father, whom she has not seen for nine years. Hardin, originally reluctant about Tessa meeting her father for fear of getting hurt, finds himself bonding with the man as they bond about their alcoholism.

Everything seems smooth sailing until Hardin takes Tessa to London for his mother’s wedding. He is hesitant at first because he’s scared that Tessa will judge his past and origins. With Vance’s encouragement, Hardin invites Tessa to his mother’s wedding. Things appear fine, but the happiness is short-lived. The night before his mother’s wedding, Hardin accidentally encounters Vance having sex with his mom. Kimberly finds out about Vance’s cheating ways and is furious with him. Things take for the worse when Vance reveals to Hardin a long-lost secret.

After Ever Happy

When Hardin discovers his family's dark secret, he plunges into a pit of despair from which he is unable to escape. Tessa is fed up with trying to rescue Hardin from his misery only to find out that Hardin is the only one who can do it. To Hardin's dismay, Tessa eventually suggests that they take a break from each other. Hardin is furious at the idea, but eventually, they part ways and spend time figuring out what they truly want in life. As they cross with each other again in the future, they have the opportunity to rekindle their relationship or repeat their same old mistakes again. Is passion alone enough to keep their relationship strong? Or is this the end for Tessa and Hardin?

After Everything

After Everything shows the aftermath of Hardin's break-up with Tessa and his deteriorating mental state as he struggles to cope with not being with Tessa anymore. He's also struggling with his work, suffering from a bad case of writer's block. Hardin decides to travel to Lisbon, Portugal, in order to make amends with Natalie, but unfortunately isn't so welcome. As his journey progresses, Hardin once again crosses paths with Tessa, but only time will tell if the former couple will rekindle their flame.

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Movie Review – After (2019)

“After,” a romantic drama from Jenny Gage, was one of many intriguing and diverse movies that the year 2019 brought us. Based on the popular young adult novel of the same name by Anna Todd, the film follows the tumultuous love story of Tessa Young and Hardin Scott. While it may have flown under the radar for some, “After” is a movie worth revisiting and discussing.

A Classic Love Story with a Twist

“At its core, ‘After’ is a classic love story—a tale of opposites attracting, with a touch of the forbidden. Tessa Young (played by Josephine Langford) is the epitome of a good girl, an ambitious college freshman with a bright future ahead. Hardin Scott (played by Hero Fiennes-Tiffin), on the other hand, is the brooding and mysterious bad boy with a penchant for trouble. When their paths cross at college, sparks fly, and their lives are forever changed.

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What sets ‘After’ apart from other teen romances is its willingness to explore the complexities of young love. It delves into themes of identity, family, and personal growth. Tessa and Hardin’s relationship is far from perfect; it’s messy, tumultuous, and, at times, toxic. But that’s what makes it so relatable. It captures the raw intensity of first love, like you can find with an asian bride online , and the mistakes that come with it. But nevertheless, you will have a positive experience and unforgettable emotions.

Strong Performances

One of the film’s strengths lies in its cast. Josephine Langford delivers a standout performance as Tessa Young, portraying her journey from innocence to self-discovery with depth and authenticity. Her emotional range is impressive, and she brings a level of vulnerability to the character that makes you root for Tessa even when she’s making questionable choices.

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, as Hardin Scott, also shines in his role. He embodies the brooding and enigmatic bad boy archetype while revealing glimpses of the vulnerability beneath the surface. The chemistry between Langford and Fiennes-Tiffin is palpable, and it’s their performances that anchor the film and make you invest in their characters’ tumultuous relationships.

Adaptation and Controversy

One of the most intriguing aspects of ‘After’ is its origin as a piece of fanfiction based on the band One Direction. Anna Todd initially wrote the story on the social media platform Wattpad, where it gained a massive following. While the film adaptation strays from its original fanfiction roots, it still retains the essence of a passionate love story with all its complications.

The movie’s adaptation also faced controversy for its depiction of a tumultuous and, at times, toxic relationship. Some critics argued that it romanticized unhealthy dynamics. However, others praised the film for addressing these issues realistically and showing the characters’ growth and development throughout the story.

It’s important to approach ‘After’ with an open mind and consider it within the context of a young adult romance genre. While it may not be a perfect representation of a healthy relationship, it does offer a glimpse into the intense emotions and challenges that young couples often face.

Visual Aesthetics and Soundtrack

Visually, ‘After’ is a treat for the eyes. The film’s cinematography captures the college setting beautifully, with lush landscapes and intimate close-ups that draw you into the characters’ world. The use of natural lighting and soft colors creates a dreamy atmosphere that enhances the romantic elements of the story.

The soundtrack of ‘After’ is another highlight, featuring a mix of indie and pop songs that complement the film’s emotional journey. Music plays a crucial role in setting the tone for various scenes, helping to convey the characters’ emotions and the ups and downs of their relationship.

The Impact of ‘After’

Despite its mixed critical reception, ‘After’ has built a dedicated fanbase that appreciates its portrayal of young love and the challenges that come with it. The film’s success also led to the creation of a franchise, with several sequels and spin-offs in the works.

‘After’ has resonated with audiences who can relate to the intensity of first love, the mistakes made along the way, and the personal growth that comes from those experiences. It reminds us that love is messy, imperfect, and often filled with obstacles, but it can also be transformative and worth the journey.

In Conclusion

‘After’ may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it’s a film that offers an authentic portrayal of young love and the complexities that come with it. With strong performances from its leads, a visually appealing aesthetic, and a compelling soundtrack, it manages to capture the hearts of its target audience. If you’re in the mood for a passionate and tumultuous love story, ‘After’ is a movie worth giving a chance. It’s a reminder that love, no matter how messy, has the power to change us and shape our lives in unexpected ways.

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Review: 'After Everything,' the final movie leaves viewers wanting more

This movie is only in theaters for september 14th and 15th. the journey hardin scott takes to become a better version of himself is depicted in this film..

Tessa, left, portrayed by Josephine Langford, and Hardin, portrayed by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, share a moment in the fifth film in the After series. (Courtesy Voltage Pictures)

The fifth and final film in the After franchise, "After Everything," appeared in theaters for two days only, Sept. 14 and 15. However, it is expected to be released on Netflix later in 2023 or early 2024.

This is the first film where actress Josephine Langford portrays Tessa, a key character in the series who does not appear in this film until near the end. This film is the first in the franchise that is not named after the novels of the same title, authored by Anna Todd.

The lead character Hardin, portrayed by Hero Fiennes Tiffin, travels to Portugal in search of Natalie, a woman he had wronged in the past. During his search, Hardin embarks on a discovery of self. He struggles to advance his first manuscript while dealing with writer's block and the heartbreaking split with Tessa. He understands that he needs to change before making the ultimate commitment to get Tessa back.

The trip to Portugal demonstrates Hardin's development as a character as he realizes the mistakes he had made. The story of this film includes Hardin's effort to become a better person overall. But, the relationship he has pursued with Tessa creates a spiral in his mind of what it would mean to live without her. The experience teaches him the importance of happiness.

Fiennes Tiffin gave a sincere performance, capturing the depth of his character's anguish. At the beginning of the movie, Hardin narrates how he cannot imagine life without Tessa. The audience at the Emagine Theater on Sept. 14, connected with Hardin's emotional outpouring, with fan reactions to the scenes creating a significant hum in the room. 

When Hardin's father, Vince, travels to Portugal to support him during his writer's block and heartache, fans experience one of the purest moments in the film. The acting in this scene revealed how Hardin and Vince were truly father and son. Vince advises Hardin to write at least "a page a day" to earn his book advance. He advised Hardin to let go of Tessa and find happiness, saying he didn't know what the future might bring. In the previous film, their relationship was often chaotic, so the happy time they shared in this film is appreciated.

The character Natalie, portrayed by Mimi Keene, captured the importance of Hardin's past. She brought Hardin back to life after experiencing his heartbreak. This was a platonic relationship between the characters, and it gave Hardin true friendship. The way Natalie forgave Hardin for the pain he caused her in the past was mature and pure of her. She still had the heart to forgive him after ruining her life, which perfectly captured the insight Hardin required in his life.

Another thing that the film did a great job of capturing was how Hardin would always have memories of Tessa and how every area he visited made him think of her. This perfectly conveyed how much he missed her and how there was nothing that could ever make him forget her.

This film demonstrates how real happiness comes from within, and that to move on with life, barriers must be overcome. Near the end, Hardin and Tessa's romance is reignited, revealing how much heartache they had to endure for two years before finding happiness.

The lack of screen time for Josephine Langford, who played Tessa Young, was one of the movie's low points. Although the focus of this film was Hardin's journey, Tessa's struggles should have been highlighted at certain points. When he tried to reach out to her in the brief scene before the conclusion, it appeared that she did not care.

Tessa appeared to be delighted to see him toward the conclusion of the film. He demonstrated how much he had evolved during the last two years. At the moment Hardin makes his proposal, they are still together. Viewers might be left wanting a backstory to their rekindled happiness as a couple. The end of the movie, a flash forward to the future of them ending up together married with a daughter, felt rushed and left a feeling of something missing at the end.

This movie did an excellent job of showing Hardin's development throughout the narrative, which was a crucial development. Overall, the movie was great, but it would have been better with a few missing components. Tiffin's acting captured the feelings of heartbreak, growth, and happiness.

"You're my breath, my pain, my heart, my life! You're my better place, Tess. We needed to be able to stand alone before we could stand together" Hardin Scott said in the book

This specific quote is a perfect representation of this movie.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Mariam Fakhreddine is a film and theater reviewer for The Eastern Echo. She has worked as a news and features reporter for The Echo for two years.

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The After Review – An emotional and impactful short

Short films are a beautiful art, and they rarely ever get the attention they deserve. With the average runtime for films becoming almost three hours, it’s refreshing to see Netflix releasing the short The After , with a runtime of just eighteen minutes. Anyone can spare so few minutes, and we implore you to in this case.

The After is a British short film directed and co-written by Misan Harriman, starring David Oyelowo as the lead role of Dayo.  In this intense short film, Dayo is a grieving rideshare driver who picks up a passenger who helps him confront the past. It’s simple, it’s predictable, but it’s still emotionally charged and effective.

The After review and plot summary

This short film covers a topic we can all empathize and sympathize with — grief. It dabbles in the realms of suicide which is a nod to the growing rate of suicides among people, especially men, but this is ambiguous and something you can determine for yourself when you watch. This short but intense section of the film will make you think about the people in your life, how they could be suffering, and their reactions to grief and loss. 

The fact Dayo is a taxi driver, in one of the busiest cities in the world, shows the irony that someone who sees so many people per day can be so lonely. There’s some comedic relief in the many random conversations a taxi driver can hear in the back of their cab. 

This broken man is surviving, getting through day by day, and not really living. Anyone who’s suffered from grief, depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, can understand this. The short does well to portray the feelings of utter sadness and almost indifference to life. There’s one section where he breaks down crying in the middle of the street and just accepts this. This is truly sad to watch. This scene is a cathartic release, especially for people who have been brought up to hold things in, allowing audiences to see that crying and breaking down is okay. 

The cinematography is tight, with some beautifully lit shots of Dayo in a lonely London, and the scenes in the taxi are well done, not crappy CGI green screen. 

Is The After Worth Watching?

Short films have the pleasure of making an impactful message in under twenty minutes — sometimes under ten.

The biggest criticism is there isn’t a strong character arc. It builds but then the ending is abrupt; it’s easy to feel as if one hasn’t seen a complete story. It’s a sweet ending, but after the hard-hitting deaths, and a scene of him breaking down, a stronger ending was needed to convey a message of hope and moving on.

Still, this short film packs a punch to the gut, and whilst it’s sad to watch, it’s also a small reminder that you can overcome your grief and sadness with small steps, and those steps are worth taking.

What did you think of The After? Comment below.

RELATED: The After Ending Explained

Article by Romey Norton

Romey Norton joined Ready Steady Cut in June 2021 as a Film and TV writer, and since then, she has published over 400 articles for the website. With a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Leeds in 2017 and acting experience on screen, Romey uses her Film and TV knowledge to bring informative and detailed content for online publications and podcasting.

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The After: Is the Netflix Short Film Inspired by a Real Story?

A directorial debut short film by renowned photographer Misan Harriman, Netflix’s ‘ The After ’ is all about grief and healing. It follows the journey of British man Dayo, who just wants to spend some quality time with his daughter Lauren and his wife. But due to a horrific incident, he witnesses his family die in front of him. Clearly shaken by these events, Dayo now needs to figure out how he can move on with his life after something like this has happened to him.

With stellar performances from David Oyelowo, Jessica Plummer and Dominique Tipper, the drama short deals with too many emotions of grief, shock, acceptance and the healing process within its short runtime. It’s a story about a great tragedy, but more about what happens to those who are left behind to deal with it. Some of these emotions feel so real and relatable that it naturally makes you question if the story is based on true events.

The After Discusses Grief and the Process of Healing

‘The After’ is not based on a true story. For his first short film, Harriman provided the story himself, which was converted into a screenplay with the help of John Julius Schwabach. This short, which has even qualified for the Oscars, is an attempt by Harriman to share a story about healing and the different ways in which the protagonist’s struggle will speak to viewers dealing with their own demons and trying to heal from them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Misan Harriman (@misanharriman)

Stories like this seem so familiar and true because of many such instances we hear about random attacks on women and children, which unfortunately lead to their deaths. One such case in May 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, comes to mind where a similar incident took place. A mother was standing with her child near a school around 5 p.m. when a man came and allegedly stabbed both of them. While she died instantly, her child died in hospital, leaving their family to grieve such unexpected deaths. It was later found that the attacks were very random, and the accused had a criminal history.

Apart from such real-life incidents, the themes that have been portrayed in ‘The After’ have also been explored previously in many films and TV series in popular culture. While some, like the 2021 film ‘Mass’ explore how the parents who have lost their child to a shooting approach the healing process, some more popular ones, like ‘P.S. I Love You’ describe how letters from a deceased partner help in the healing process, just like Dayo listened to the voice notes from his wife to feel better in ‘The After.’ Another film that seems to touch the most on similar themes is ‘ The Shack (2017) ,’ as it addresses the grief of a father who loses his daughter too soon.

The film follows Mack, who is happy with his wife Nan and his three kids. One day, during a camping trip, his youngest child, Missy, disappears and is found dead later, believed to be a victim of serial killing. This breaks Mack as he blames himself for not looking after her, but eventually, he is led to God and given hope by a group of strangers who help him heal. While he doesn’t lose his wife in this film like ‘The After,’ it discusses all the similar themes of grief after losing a daughter and how a father tries to heal from the incident. This storyline also focuses on how he became distant from his wife, indicating how deep that grief flows, making the person feel all alone. This is why even if there are many familiar themes in ‘The After,’ which could have been inspired by real-life tragedies, it can be concluded that the film is still just another story and not based on real events.

Read More: Great Short Films Starring Your Favorite Actors

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After We Fell

2021, Romance/Drama, 1h 39m

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The third installment of the "After" franchise finds Tessa starting an exciting new chapter of her life. But as she prepares to move to Seattle for her dream job, Hardin's jealousy and unpredictable behavior reach a fever pitch and threaten to end their intense relationship. Their situation grows more complicated when Tessa's father returns and shocking revelations about Hardin's family come to light. Ultimately, Tessa and Hardin must decide if their love is worth fighting for or if it's time to go their separate ways.

Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language)

Genre: Romance, Drama

Original Language: English

Director: Castille Landon

Producer: Mark Canton , Jennifer Gibgot , Aron Levitz , Brian Pitt , Courtney Solomon

Writer: Sharon Soboil

Release Date (Streaming): Oct 19, 2021

Box Office (Gross USA): $2.1M

Runtime: 1h 39m

Production Co: CalMaple, Wattpad

Cast & Crew

Josephine Langford

Hero Fiennes Tiffin

Hardin Scott

Arielle Kebbel

Mira Sorvino

Carol Young

Chance Perdomo

Louise Lombard

Trish Daniels

Carter Jenkins

Frances Turner

Kiana Madeira

Stephen Moyer

Christian Vance

Castille Landon

Sharon Soboil

Screenwriter

Eric Lehrman

Executive Producer

Andrew Panay

Mark Canton

Jennifer Gibgot

Aron Levitz

Courtney Solomon

Joshua Reis

Cinematographer

Inigo Navarro

Production Design

Alexei Karaghiaur

Art Director

Orlin Grozdanov

Set Decoration

Nicola Chisholm

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After Death review – swirly-whirly visions of post-demise Jesus, heaven and hell

Doc wherein mainly white Christian men recount their stories, set to dramatic music, and slathered with trippy animations

H ere is an American-made documentary that is part of the rising flood of faith-based movies; it contains people recounting visions of an afterlife they experienced while technically dead. Despite being a documentary, it’s little different from feature narrative films such as QAnon-adjacent child-trafficking conspiracy-fest Sound of Freedom or the upcoming hagiography Cabrini , both of which involved After Death’s producers Angel Studios.

Despite interviewees’ conviction that their souls left their bodies and glimpsed another world, we aren’t presented with any proof – sure, the film-makers deploy lots of onscreen graphics in order to reassure us of their subjects’ bona fides, but solemn music, moody lighting and dramatic re-creations don’t just make things magically factual. Or even especially persuasive.

It is also perhaps significant that the interviewees here – who make airy generalisations about how these experiences happen all over the world to people who follow many different faiths – are mostly all white, American and steeped in Christianity . There’s one woman (Pam Reynolds, seen in archive footage), but the bulk of them are men. These include former pilot Dale Black, who claims to have seen his own dead body after an air crash, car accident survivor Don Piper and the aptly named Howard Storm, who not only saw both heaven and hell but got an audience with Jesus himself (a ghostly penumbra in the film’s many trippy animations).

As one medical man notes, all these experiences are subjective; they are evidence, but not actual proof, that interviewees aren’t experiencing delusions. But, he notes ominously, if there’s enough evidence, maybe that’s as good as proof! Yeah, maybe. Or maybe not. The rhetoric here is slippery as a Pentecostal snake bathed in holy snake oil, to the point where you almost have to admire the film-makers’ tenacity – especially when it comes to swirly-whirly visual effects showing near-abstract pearly gates and deities presenting themselves as rays of luminosity, like celestial lightbulbs.

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‘desert road’ review: kristine froseth stars in a spellbinding and rewardingly disorienting head trip.

Writer-director Shannon Triplett’s feature debut revolves around a lone traveler caught in a seemingly endless spiral after an accident in the Mojave.

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The central character is “stuck in a loop,” as she puts it in a phone conversation with her encouraging mother (Rachel Dratch). She’s talking about her stalled career dreams as a photographer, and their talk takes place while the Woman, as she’s called in the credits, waits for a tow truck. She’s on her way back to her native Iowa from Los Angeles, and her sedan holds all her earthly possessions. In a wise and loving pep talk, her mom advises against giving up — a refreshing change of pace from all those undermining movie mothers. The daughter’s response is tearful, terse and despairing. She’s defeated, and her car won’t budge. Hello, inflection point.

Among these is a towering and weathered sign for a long-defunct roadside restaurant, one of the ghost-town relics of Route 66’s heyday, before an interstate left it in the dust. At the isolated gas station where she stops to refuel, the Woman meets a weirdly nervous and inquisitive clerk, played to off-putting perfection by Max Mattern. It’s moments after their initial exchange that, in an instant of cellphone distraction, she has her fateful confrontation with a roadside rock and begins her wait for Steve (Hurst), apparently the only tow-truck driver for miles around. Steve says he can’t be there for hours, and he insists on prepayment over the phone.

All of which might make a seasoned driver wonder, “What, no Triple-A?” But, that reality check aside, the spell cast by Triplett’s story is so strong that potential holes in logic barely dent its surface and definitely don’t weaken its hold. (Nor does the odd way the Woman and everyone else in the movie calls the highway where the action takes place “CA-190” rather than just “190” or, in SoCal fashion, “the 190”; unless this is a clue to the puzzle that I didn’t get, it strikes a rare false note in the stripped-down dialogue.)

Like many a lone movie driver before her, the Woman has landed in a kind of purgatory, and there’s a noir pulse to the surreal world that writer-director Triplett has conjured (with aptly understated contributions by designers Matt Rumer and Nadine Sondej-Robinson). But there’s mercy too. Against the uncommon topography and the sense of terror in free fall, something vital and insistent pushes through, propelled in moments by the gentle passages in Anna Drubich’s low-key score and the glorious use of Harry Nilsson’s high-spirited “Jump Into the Fire.”

Explanations, when they arrive in such meltdown tales, can be the drama’s undoing, or at least a serious letdown. Here, though, Triplett’s space-time continuum, or dis-continuum, not only sustains its momentum in riveting fashion, but it also strikes unexpected emotional notes in the brief, sharp turns by Fisher, Bridges and Hurst. (The first two play characters best left undefined here in the interest of discovery and surprise.)

As the heart of this folding and unfolding origami of irreality, trapped in an unforgiving place and reliving moments from different angles, Froseth is magnetic every retraced step of the way. Desert Road will surely invite repeat viewings to discern its hints and untangle its logic. More than that, within its very specific subgenre, this unlikely intersection of Memento and It’s a Wonderful Life just might prove an enduring classic.

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Looks like fourth time is truly a charm for Jimmy Kimmel and the Academy Awards .

Back hosting the Oscars for the second year in a row and the fourth time overall, the ABC Late Night front man took a show where most of the big winners were pretty predictable and gave it some much needed bite. “See kids, sometimes smoking is fine,” Kimmel quipped after Da’Vine Joy Randolph won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her cigarette imbibing role in The Holdovers .

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Sometimes kids, it’s worth packing a punch — as the Academy Awards proved Sunday.

Bringing the great David Alan Grier in as the voice of God and picking up on what the Grammys and many other award shows have been put down for in recent months, the Raj Kapoor, Katy Mullan and Molly McNearney executive produced Oscars joined the 21 st century this year.

Thank the movie gods, even if the show was almost three hours and 30 minutes long.

RELATED: The Oscars: Best Looks From The Red Carpet

Thank the movie gods because for the first time in too long and after more than few false starts, the Oscars didn’t just celebrate movies tonight, it celebrated putting on a show about celebrating movies.

Hollywood’s biggest night was made for the small screen this year with movies that people have actually seen on stage. At the same time, Guns’n’Roses’ Slash showing up to add his stadium sized guitar licks to Ryan Gosling’s star studded, pyrotechnics packed and delightfully over the top Barbie performance of “I’m Just Ken” showed American Idol and The Voice just how it’s meant to be done.

Maybe we didn’t know that John Mulaney was going to use presenting the Best Sound award as a platform to audition to be the 2025 host, but we all knew Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was going to clean up. Which is what the atom bomb creator saga did with wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr , among others.

As with almost all the Academy Award ceremonies of modern times, they could have picked up the pace and melded together a few more categories and presenters. Having five past winners introduce the nominees in the major categories could have easily become a tedious gimmick. It could have, but instead the concept worked out much better than expected. Having said that, wasn’t the smoothest move to bring up the get-off-the stage music when Sean Ono Lennon was getting the crowd to chant “Happy Birthday Yoko” to his iconic 91-year-old mother.

RELATED: Cillian Murphy Dedicates ‘Oppenheimer’ Best Actor Oscar To “Peacemakers Everywhere”

For reasons that had a lot more to do with capitalism and ad rates than protesters on the streets delaying a few stars, the earlier than usual Oscars began about five minutes after its 4 pm PT start time. Thanking attendees for “making it on time” on this first full day of Daylight Savings, Kimmel warned viewers at home and those in the Dolby that “it’s going to be a long night after what was a long year.”

In a world that truly seems on fire, Hollywood’s months and months of strikes and shutdowns, falling studio stock prices, and the trickle of production starting up so far made the year seem very long.

RELATED: ‘American Fiction’: Cord Jefferson Pleas With Hollywood To Give New Creatives A Shot While Accepting Award At 2024 Oscars

Which is why if you are going to pack a punch, make sure it’s a TKO.

RELATED: “This Will Help With My Midlife Crisis,” Says An Emotional Justine Triet As She & Arthur Harari Accept Original Screenplay Oscar For ‘Anatomy Of A Fall’

Kimmel’s on-stage salute right near the beginning of the show to the bitter strikes of last year and below the line workers poked the studios in the eye while simultaneously piercing “union town” Hollywood’s pretentiousness was just such a blow. Barely heard over the standing ovation the crowd was giving the crew, Kimmel’s remarks that those who went on strike in 2023 would be there for IATSE , the Teamsters and other Hollywood crafts in their negotiations with the studios and a labor action of their own was a very public f*ck you to the corporate overlords.

RELATED: Da’Vine Joy Randolph Thanks All Of the Beautiful People Who Taught Her To ‘Just Be Myself’ After Oscar Win

Thankfully, it was not all so serious.

It was no surprise that Robert Downey Jr won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his Oppenheimer role, it’s a been a juggernaut all award season. What was a surprise is that after all those other wins leading up to the Academy Awards, Tinseltown’s perpetual prodigal son had the killer line of “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order” to start off his gratitude packed acceptance speech.  

(WATCH) Robert Downey Jr.'s acceptance speech as he wins Best Supporting Actor for 'Oppenheimer' #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Je6301xOxt — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 11, 2024

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Trump swipes aside, there weren’t a lot of geopolitics on the Oscars on Sunday considering the global situation. Taking a big picture stance, it was a very poignant touch by the Academy and Oscars producers to begin the In Memoriam segment with a clip of Alexei Navalny from the 2023 Oscar nominated documentary about the now deceased Russian opposition leader.

The Academy Awards 2024 In Memoriam tribute | #Oscars pic.twitter.com/4SEzym7WIG — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 11, 2024

Just look at John Cena in his birthday suit.

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Just look and listen as hearts rose up to the Osage Tribal Singers and Dancers performing Scott George’s Oscar nominated song from Killers of the Flower Moon on a sunset drenched stage.

The powerful speech from 20 Days in Mariupol  director Mstyslav Chernov mourning Russian’s invasion of his country while winning the first Oscar ever for a Ukrainian film with his documentary.

That “Kensplaining” put-down from Oppenheimer ’s Emily Blunt to her Stunt Man co-star and Barbie boy Ryan Gosling.

That’s how you sell a show.

That’s how you celebrate a song and a culture.

That’s how you shame a superpower.

That’s how you squash a rivalry and land a zinger.

The very buff Cena was ironically right, “the male body is not a joke.” True, but damn it was hilarious and genius watching the nude and mock reluctant Peacemaker star hand out the Costume Design award while commemorating the infamous streaker who crashed the 1974 Oscars.

For God’s sake, a Godzilla movie won an Oscar tonight! A really good Godzilla movie, though it would have been polite to provide a translator for the overwhelmed Godzilla Minus One team.

The Oscars hasn’t been much fun or much of a coherent show for over a decade. In a fairly predictable year, the 2024 Oscars were something else …as Michael Keaton gestured from his seat when Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger lamented how their villain roles were beaten by Batman in the movie: “Come and get it!

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Oscars TV Review: Kimmel Packs Punch In Academy Awards For 21st Century

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The characters in “ After Love ” spend a lot of time looking into mirrors. Mary ( Joanna Scanlan ), an English woman who became a devout convert to Islam when she married her husband Ahmed, discovers days after his death that he was living a double life with another woman. In a mirror, she practices what she wants to say to that woman. Later, she sees the woman, slim, blonde, and sophisticated, wearing jeans in contrast to the traditional coverings of Mary’s faith. Again, looking into a mirror, she gazes at her exposed body, running her hands over her skin. 

There are metaphorical mirrored reflections as well. It is the story of two women looking at each other, first to see what makes them different, then to see what connects them. 

Ahmed captained a ferry that crossed the water separating England from France, what the British call the English Channel, and the French call La Manche. In the days after his death, Mary replays a loving voicemail he left her, affectionately chiding her not to get too close to the edge of the White Cliffs of Dover when she goes to wave at his ferry boat. She believed the man she had been with since they were teenagers was as devoted to her as he was to him. But she discovered another woman in his life, Genevieve ( Nathalie Richard ), from the French side of the water.

And so Mary, who has spent so much time gazing across the Channel, crosses it to confront the other woman. She looks into a mirror to practice what she will say. But when the time comes, standing at the doorway, as Genevieve approaches, she cannot find her voice. Instead, Genevieve, a sophisticated, confident woman, sees a lower-class English woman with a head covering and assumes she must be a cleaning lady. She tells Mary to do the laundry, and a few minutes later, Mary buries her nose in one of Ahmed’s shirts. 

Genevieve needs help packing up for a move to a new house. Mary comes back every day to help and learn more about her husband’s other life and the woman who is so different and yet with whom she shared so much. Mary and Ahmed were together since their early teens. They were married. She was close to his family. Genevieve and Ahmed were not married. She never met his family. But she is the mother of his son, Solomon ( Talid Ariss ). Mary’s resentment of her rival melts away when she has a chance to glimpse Ahmed in the boy who blames his mother for his father’s absence. 

Writer/director Aleem Khan has a gift for telling visual details, some of them imaginary manifestations of emotions: The majestic cliffs over the water seem to tremble; a crack splits a bedroom ceiling. And some, within the world of the film, are real. A stoic widow, all but her face covered in spotless white, is surrounded by weeping women in black waiting for the men to return from the burial. Kahn keeps the parallels understated but meaningful. Each woman cannot resist lying down on the other’s bed. 

The contrasts loom large at first, the subdued Mary completely immersed in her adopted religion and culture while Genevieve is cosmopolitan and independent. Solomon at first overlooks Mary but then allows himself to be comforted by her. Mary, at first too overwhelmed to speak, finds a way to communicate with her husband’s son, which leads to a painful revelation. Later, another painful secret is revealed more quietly.

“After Love” is not an accurate description. Love does not end in this story any more than the anguish of loss. Instead, it is about characters who find that a broken heart is open to empathy and learn to recognize that what connects us is so much more than what divides us.

Now playing in select theaters.

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

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Film Credits

After Love (2023)

Joanna Scanlan as Mary

Nathalie Richard as Genevieve

Nasser Memarzia as Ahmed

Talid Ariss as Solomon

Sudha Bhuchar as Farzanna

Nisha Chadha as Mina

Jabeen Butt as Saadia

Subika Anwar-Khan as Salma

Elijah Braik as Farooq

Adam Karim as Imran

Narayan David Hecter as Anthony

Pierre Delpierre as Removal Man

Jeff Mirza as Ahmed (Voice)

Cinematographer

• Alexander Dynan
• Gareth C. Scales

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Jimmy Kimmel Jabbed Back at Donald Trump During the Oscars

Yes, that was a real post by the former president.

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By Matt Stevens

• March 10, 2024

Former President Donald J. Trump couldn’t help himself. And Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t resist either. So the Oscars wound to a close on a political note.

Kimmel used some of his final stage time as host to read, to millions of Americans watching at home, a post published on Truth Social by Trump . (And yes, he really did post it.)

Drawing out his phone onstage, Kimmel decided to share what he called “a review.”

“Has there ever been a worse host than Jimmy Kimmel at the Oscars,” Kimmel said, reading part of Trump’s post, which included a disparaging nickname for the ABC host George Stephanopoulos.

“His opening was that of a less than average person trying too hard to be something which he is not, and never can be,” Kimmel continued. “Get rid of Kimmel and perhaps replace him with another washed up, but cheap, ABC ‘talent,’ George Slopanopoulos. He would make everybody on stage look bigger, stronger, and more glamorous.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” Kimmel said. “Make America great again.”

After asking the audience, “See if you can guess which former president just posted that?” Kimmel offered one final jab, expressing surprise that Trump had stayed up to watch the telecast.

“Isn’t it past your jail time?” he said.

Matt Stevens writes about arts and culture news for The Times. He has been a journalist for more than a decade. More about Matt Stevens

Jimmy Kimmel on Oscars: Host starts late but finishes big

After hit-and-miss monologue, crowd cheers tribute to behind-the-scenes crew members as well as rousing ryan gosling and naked john cena..

Jimmy Kimmel delivers the opening monologue of the 96th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

The 96 th Annual Academy Awards caused a bit of a stir before the ceremony even started because of WHEN they started: six minutes past the scheduled 6 p.m. Central Time kickoff, with a comfortable and confident Jimmy Kimmel handling host duties for the fourth time. Some in the audience stood to greet Kimmel, who ad-libbed, “Thank you for that partial standing ovation” and noted, “We’re already five minutes over and I am not joking.”

It was a tad ironic that Kimmel joked about the long running time for so many movies in a solid if hit-and-miss monologue that stretched past 15 minutes. Heavy on inside-baseball references, it ended on a strong note, with Kimmel bringing out dozens of behind-the-scenes crew members to thank them for refusing to cross picket lines during last year’s strikes. Nice to see the stars rising as one to thank all the union craftspeople whose names you see rolling on the screen after the movie is over!

The opening montage featured a gag reminiscent of Billy Crystal’s stints as host, with Kimmel edited into the park bench scene in “Barbie.” When the living doll says, “You’re so beautiful,” Kimmel replies, “I know, I was just thinking that. I haven’t eaten in three weeks. I’m so hungry. I have to go host the Oscars.”

A dig at “Madame Web” met with a tepid response. A visual gag involving Messi the dog from “Anatomy of a Fall” worked. Some wisecracks about Robert Downey Jr.’s past problems were helped because Downey played along from the audience. One of the best jokes to land: “Emma [Stone] played an adult woman with the brain of a child, like the lady who gave the rebuttal to the State of the Union on Thursday.” Zing!

Kimmel also noted that “48 years ago, Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster were nominated for ‘Taxi Driver,’ and they are both nominated again tonight. 1976 was the year. In 1975, Jodie Foster was young enough to be Robert De Niro’s daughter. Now, she’s 20 years too old to be his girlfriend.” Cut to shots of De Niro gamely laughing, and Foster wearing an expression that said, “He’s not wrong.”

In another nod to Academy history — this one more notorious than iconic — Kimmel told us it was the 50 th anniversary of a streaker dashing across the stage at the Oscars, which led to a goofy but hilarious bit in which a “naked” John Cena expressed misgivings about re-creating the moment. With the envelope for best costume placed strategically in front of him, a very exposed Cena shuffled across the stage, drawing big laughs from the audience. It’s no small feat to pull off a stunt like that in front of a crowd filled with nominees, some of whom have already lost, but it worked. (Margot Robbie was DYING.)

Clad only in sandals and an envelope, John Cena pays tribute to a past streaking incident during the 96th Annual Academy Awards.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Kudos as well to Colman Domingo for playing along with Kimmel’s lovable sidekick Guillermo, who handed out tequilas and toasted his wife Charlize Theron, who is most certainly and definitely not his wife. Three cheers as well to presenter John Mulaney, whose breakdown of the quite crazy plot of “Field of Dreams” was so hilarious and fantastic that I would like to see a Netflix special in which Mulaney explains 100 movies in 100 minutes.

On the downside, Emma Stone’s sour-faced reaction to a Kimmel joke about the amount of sexual content in “Poor Things” led to instant social media interpretations of what she said or didn’t say; whatever it was, Stone seemed displeased. An edgy joke aimed in Sandra Hüller’s direction kind of fluttered and fell to the ground awkwardly.

Ryan Gosling (in pink) sings “I’m Just Ken” with help from Ncuti Gatwa (from left), Kingsley Ben-Adir and Simu Liu on Sunday during the 96th Annual Academy Awards.

On balance, though, Kimmel proved to be a reliable veteran hand in his fourth go-round, and he scored a late knockout punch when he read a Truth Social post from Donald Trump, who ripped Kimmel’s performance, leading Kimmel to quip, “Isn’t it past your jail time?”

As for the music: The performances of “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” “What Was I Made For?,” “The Fire Inside” and “It Never Went Away” were as great as you’d expect — but it was Ryan Gosling’s show-stopping rendition of “I’m Just Ken” that brought down the house. Kenapalooza lives!

Scarlett Johansson Plays ‘Scary Mom’ Katie Britt on ‘Saturday Night Live’ After Republican Senator Is Panned

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“ Saturday Night Live ” kicked off the March 9 episode mocking President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address — but more so, the Republican response. After Mikey Day’s Biden spoke to Congress and mocked House Speaker Mike Johnson shaking his head — “every time I say predecessor, Mike Johnson shakes his head like he just accidentally caught 30 seconds of the show ‘Euphoria'” — he threw it to Katie Britt , the Alabama senator.

With that, Scarlett Johansson appeared as Britt, stating, “Tonight I’ll be auditioning for the part of ‘Scary Mom.’ I’ll be performing an original monologue called ‘This Country is Hell.’”

“I’m a wife, a mother and the craziest bitch in the Target parking lot,” said Johansson. “I’m worried about the future of our children and this is why I’ve invited you into this strange, empty kitchen. Because Republicans wanted me to appeal to women voters and women love kitchen.”

She went on to say that Biden gave “a performance of a permanent politician,” but that she’s not performing.

“First and foremost, I’m a mom. And like any mom, I’m going to do a pivot out of nowhere into a shockingly violent story about sex trafficking. Rest assured, every detail about it is real, except the year, where it took place, and who was president when it happened,” she continued.

Johansson’s Britt also attempted to sell her “gorgeous bejeweled cross necklace” midway through her speech and later got “weirdly seductive for no apparent reason.”

The sketch also featured a “Get Out” pun, with Johansson stirring a teacup with a spoon and the cameras cutting to a terrified Kenan Thompson with tears running down his cheek.

Later in the episode, Jost, who is married to Johansson, joked about Britt’s speech during the “Weekend Update” segment, noting that it was some of the worst acting he’s ever seen.

Watch Johansson’s cold open below:

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After witnessing disease and poverty in the slums of New York, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini embarks on a daring journey to persuade the hostile mayor to provide housing and healthcare... Read all After witnessing disease and poverty in the slums of New York, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini embarks on a daring journey to persuade the hostile mayor to provide housing and healthcare for hundreds of orphaned children. After witnessing disease and poverty in the slums of New York, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini embarks on a daring journey to persuade the hostile mayor to provide housing and healthcare for hundreds of orphaned children.

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• Trivia According to John Lithgow he agreed to make the film because he liked the script, explaining, "It's wonderful to see a single person, a single character from history who is a real fighter and who will not give up and has right on her side and who makes enormous changes. This is Martin Luther King, and Frederick Douglas, people like that, and we are just not that aware of Mother Cabrini."
• Connections Featured in The Glenn Beck Program: Is 'Cabrini' the BEST Christian film since 'The Passion of the Christ?' (2024)
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• Mar 10, 2024

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• Runtime 2 hours 22 minutes

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