Paul Mescal has built up quite the career over the past few years, though one of his biggest highlights is a movie you should definitely catch tonight. Directed and written by Charlotte Wells, Aftersun is loosely based on the filmmaker's own childhood.
The emotionally powerful film follows an 11-year-old girl on holiday with her father (Mescal), who is about to turn 31 and is dealing with the weight of life outside being a dad.
Mescal earned an Oscar nomination for his performance as Calum Patterson, while the movie also attracted a slew of BAFTA nods, including two for Wells.
Who's in Aftersun?
• Paul Mescal is Calum Patterson
• Frankie Corio is Sophie Patterson
• Celia Rowlson-Hall is adult Sophie
• Spike Fearn is Olly
• Brooklyn Toulson is Michael
• Sally Messham is Belinda
• Harry Perdios is Toby
• Ruby Thompson is Laura
• Ethan James Smith is Scott
• Kayleigh Coleman is Jane
What did the critics say about Aftersun?
Aftersun drew huge acclaim from critics, sitting at a near-perfect 95% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 244 reviews.
Vulture called it "a work of masterful and almost unbearable melancholy", while ABC News labelled it an "unforgettable father-daughter story".
What to Read Next
"As both a gorgeous ode to the faultlines of memory in family life, and a single, heartbreaking portrait of a father and daughter set to prematurely part ways on a number of levels, Aftersun is a genuinely standout feature debut," wrote iNews.
Empire added: "This mesmeric debut will make you want to stay suspended in its sun-baked setting with its two captivating lead characters for far longer than the runtime. A triumph of new British filmmaking."
Where can I watch Aftersun?
Aftersun is available to stream on Netflix after being added to the platform today. Fans can also catch it on BBC iPlayer, where it is available for the next nine months, or Mubi. Mubi costs £11.99 per month, and is also available as an add-on channel on Prime Video, with a seven-day free trial.
Other Paul Mescal movies you can stream now
If you want to catch more Mescal, there's plenty of the actor's work available across streaming. Among the highlights is God's Creatures on BBC iPlayer, which co-stars Emily Watson and sees him play a young man who returns to his remote Irish village, where he is accused of sexual assault.
Over on Netflix, there's The Lost Daughter, which also features Hamnet co-star Jessie Buckley and Olivia Colman and follows a mother who confronts her past on a beach holiday. Mescal's breakout TV series Normal People is also on Netflix – though leaves the platform very soon – alongside iPlayer and Disney+.
Disney+ and Channel 4 are further streaming Mescal's acclaimed drama All of Us Strangers, which focuses on a writer's romance with his enigmatic neighbour while confronting ghosts of his past, and co-stars Andrew Scott.
Aftersun is streaming now on Netflix.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
