Summary
TheAftersuncast features fresh, up-and-coming actors who greatly shot to fame due to its immense critical acclaim. With an impressive 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where debut director Charlotte Wells was nominated for the Caméra d’Or. The lead actor, Paul Mescal, even received a nomination forBest Actor at the 2023 Oscars, and the movie was also nominated for four BAFTA awards.Aftersun’s reviewscalled it poignant and powerful, praising the actors for their sensitive, nuanced performances as father and daughter.
The movie explores the childhood memory of Sophie while on vacation with Calum, her single father, at a resort in Turkey.Calum is not much older than Sophie inAftersun– he is only 30 while she’s 11 – and their age gap is a pivotal aspect of their relationship. The actors therefore reflect this age gap, effectively portraying the characters' vulnerabilities. The actor who plays Sophie debuted in the role and is bound to get much more work after this heartbreaking performance of a young girl who doesn’t know how depressed and lost her father is.
Paul Mescal as Calum
Date Of Birth: June 06, 2025
Actor:Born in County Kildare, Ireland,Paul Mescal first shot to fame with his role as Connell Waldron in the 2020 miniseriesNormal People.He then acted in films likeThe Lost DaughterandGod’s Creaturesin 2021 and 2022 respectively, before his role inAftersun.Since then, he has also starred in the 2023 dramaAll of Us Strangersopposite Andrew Scott. Next, he will be leading theGladiator 2castalongside actors like Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington.
Gladiator 2
Unknown (upcoming)
Character:Calum is a young and inexperienced father trying to bond with his 11-year-old daughter, Sophie, on vacation at a budget Turkish resort.Recently divorced, he is lost and confused, grappling with his own inner turmoil and a sense of melancholy while desperately trying to create joyful memories for his daughter and forge a relationship with her. ThroughoutAftersun,Calum’s underlying sadness contrasts with his efforts to appear cheerful to Sophie. TheAftersunendingimplies that Calum dies by suicide following the events depicted in the movie.
Frankie Corio as Sophie
Date Of Birth: July 30, 2025
Actor:Born in Livingston, West Lothian,Frankie Corio is a Scottish child actress who debuted inAftersun, for which she earned several accolades, including nominations for a Critics Choice and British Independent Film Award. Corio was only 10 when she was cast inAftersun,amid 800 other applicants. While the actor must have no doubt received several offers after this role, she will next star as Emily inThe Bagman.
The Bagman
Emily (upcoming)
Character:For most ofAftersun,Sophie is an inquisitive and perceptive 11-year-old girl who is on vacation with her father, Calum, at a Turkish resort.She is full of youthful innocence, but an emerging awareness,as she observes the world around her and begins to sense the complexities of her father’s emotional state, although she doesn’t fully comprehend them at all. Sophie’s experiences on this trip are portrayed through a series of vivid memories that she reflects on as an adult, seeking answers for her father’s fate shortly after the events shown in the movie.
Aftersun Ending Explained: What Happened To Calum?
The Aftersun ending needs to be explained to fully understand the heartwrenching and nostalgic drama, which earned Paul Mescal an Oscar nomination.
Aftersun Supporting Cast & Characters
Celia Rowlson-Hall as Adult Sophie: Celia Rowlson-Hall is a multidisciplinary artist known for her 2015 independent filmMA. InAftersun,she plays the adult version of Sophie, who reflects on the memories of the vacation with her father and watches its home videos in search of answers to explain his subsequent suicide. She is now the same age that he was during the vacation, so she seeks to understand him better.
Sally Messham as Belinda: Belinda is one of the vacationers who interacts with Calum and Sophie on their trip. She is played by Sally Messham, who is recognized for her roles inAllied,Artemis Fowl,andThe Miniaturist.
Brooklyn Toulson as Michael: Brooklyn Toulson is an emerging actor known mainly for playing Michael inAftersun.Michael is a friend Sophie makes during her vacation with Calum. He displays kindness and curiosity towards her.
Aftersun
Cast
Aftersun is a 2022 drama directed by Charlotte Wells. The film follows a young girl named Sophie who reflects on a vacation she took with her father, Calum, twenty years earlier. Through a series of memories, Sophie attempts to reconcile the loving father she knew with the unresolved aspects of their relationship. Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio star in this introspective exploration of memory and familial connection.
