Parents' Guide to

After

By Jennifer Green, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Predictable college-set adaptation has partying, sex.

Movie PG-13 2019 106 minutes
After Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 56 parent reviews

MysticalMovieReviewer
MysticalMovieReviewer Adult
September 28, 2022
age 13+

Good overall film

I read the books when I was a teenager, so I of course was pretty excited for it being turned into a movie. After reading the reviews on here and other sites, I can totally understand why people (whether you're a parent or not) wouldn't care for this movie much. Yes, it does have some sexual content in it, but there's no real nudity shown. There is drug use and drinking shown in this movie as well, but it is rated PG-13 for a reason. I understand parents being upset when seeing this on screen and calling this repulsive for that reason, but again, this movie is about a college romance that is rated PG-13, so seeing those topics in there is not much of a shocker. Plus almost every single movie I've watched regarding high-school/college students (whether it's from the 90s or 2010s) will most likely have topics like that in it. This is why it is important to at least read a couple reviews on any movie before letting your kid(s) watch it instead of going into it and assuming what it's about. If you're worried about your children watching something that might be inappropriate for their age, then you may want to consider watching the trailer, reading a few reviews online, read what the plot is about, look at the ratings, whatever you have to do so that you don't become shocked when you see your child watching something on TV that you're not okay with. Again, this is not a slap to any parents on here who don't like this movie, I can see where the frustration comes from, however, it's really important for parents to look into a movie before letting their kid watch it if you're worried about running into movies with this kind of content in it. Besides that, I think the movie is pretty good, mainly because it's nostalgic for me and many other fans who read it before it became a movie, and seeing the characters from the book come to life on the big screen is pretty awesome to see too, whether they're good or bad. They had some amazing actors in the movie too in my honest opinion. I also do like the plot as well, call me biased, but I am a huge sucker for those good girl/bad boy or enemies to lovers films, they've been around forever and I just have always loved reading/watching those kinds of stories. The only thing I really give this movie is that they did miss quite a few parts in the book that would've been important. Yes, the book is pretty long to be put into 1 hr and 46 mins of screen time, but finding out they cut quite a few scenes they filmed was pretty upsetting to hear. Also, the book is definitely rated R which was what mainly changed the plot, and I know that may be appalling for parents to hear, however, this book has been around since 2013, and that book was not meant for younger teens to begin with, even when it was physically published. But the movie was made into a PG-13 film to cater more towards teens along with adults as well, so changing the rating from R to PG-13 was of course going to change all the scenes, the characters, the overall plot, etc. But if you haven't read the books, I still think it's a decent movie regardless, however, it may be confusing going from this movie to the sequels (unless you've read the books and know what happens), but besides that, I truly do like this movie regardless of what others may think, it's truly nostalgic for me and I look forward to watching it again.
1 person found this helpful.
Itsjustcece
Itsjustcece Adult
September 23, 2021
age 14+

mhm...

as a teen watching this movie is the best but i do recommend any parent watching either before your child has watched it because its very inappropriate and it might lead bad exams with drugs and drinking so i recommend parents or carers first!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
See all 56 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (56):
Kids say (152):

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

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