Ana (True Blood's Karolina Wydra) and Freddy (Steven Strait) meet on a dark bus ride back to their home town, although oddly enough, neither seems to know who the other is. Their meeting is cut brief when the bus crashes, and the two suddenly appear in their town, which is now completely empty. Scarier still, a monstrous cloud ring is evidently swallowing the area, closing in on the protagonists slowly but surely. If they're to survive this supernatural ordeal, they'll have to figure out just what the hell is going on first.
Are they dead? In an alternate dimension? Is it all a dream? Or perhaps some combination of each scenario? That's the guiding force behind After, which takes its time developing the mystery and the relationship between Ana and Freddy, who eventually forge a rather sweet, believable bond as they search for answers. As the couple scavenge houses and attempt to find a way out of the town, they learn that they aren't alone.
After is first-time feature director Ryan Smith's Twilight Zone-esque tale of lost souls in an abandoned town. Utilising such simple, romantic themes as the power of imagination, Smith creates an atmospheric world that is both eerie and fascinating.
At least that's what the press release assures us, but critical reception for the film so far has been somewhat less generous, with comlaints about it's dullness being the favourite criticism after its 2012 UK Frightfest screening, though the London Film Review called it "a pleasant, good-looking horror film that would be more
accurately described as a thriller with horror elements."
Hmmm.
You can check for yourself when After comes to UK DVD on 26th May from Matchbox Films at the RRP of £15.99.
No extra features? Looks that way. Here's a trailer to get you started:
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