After...

The film starts out well, with urban explorers doing their thing. They film their exploits and post them to a web site, gaining fame and friends along the way.

Then they go on a trip to Moscow and things go haywire. It's a good movie up to that point, but when the surrealism starts the fun is all over. You can't tell what is really happening, what parts are just surrealism, and what is just some kind of flashback. That spoils the whole intent of the movie - if you don't know what's going on, it's hard to enjoy.

It's not a bad movie, and I liked watching it, but the whole thing was spoiled for me by the repeated flashbacks, people coming back to life, people disappearing, walls fluctuating, etc. I lost the thread of what was really happening at that point, and so stopped caring.

In a lot of ways it reminds me of Primer, another movie that was good but somewhat hard to keep track of.

I do not understand the negative comments posted here. This film is definitely worth watching. The movie held me to the very last frame. Maybe because I "got it" where some didn't. This film makes you think, and the cinematography, editing and sound fit perfectly with the style of story telling. I found the characters very believable and the tunnel shots kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. And the music - the music provided the perfect ambiance.

I normally don't react to the comments of others but their negativity is uncalled. There are really bad movies out and this is NOT one of them. Maybe the other reviewers expected a formulaic piece of fluff - AFTER is definitely not that. Give this movie a chance. It's a very good film.

Some movies are critically panned and deserve it; they're poorly made, badly acted, directed or written. There are others that are simply misunderstood. "After" is one of these. At first glance, it's another film about a hedonistic group of thrill-seekers in a dangerous, surrealistic environment. The mood of the film is established early on through the use of POV "Blair Witch" style camera work. The nervous, frenetic movements of the frame convey the adrenalin rush of the characters as they infiltrate buildings, tunnels and other forbidden places, "…simply because they can." The action moves to Moscow where the mission is to explore Stalin's legendary "Metro 2" underground. Seen through the point of view of "Nate," the journey quickly becomes a nightmare as the line between what is real and unreal disappears entirely. I found the dreamlike sequences fascinating, especially the effect of characters disappearing as though they were digital ghosts. After's unusual style of direction kept me slightly off-balance, right to the end. The truth remains out of reach, like the indistinct walls of the tunnel just beyond the light. A good movie lingers on in memory, giving food for thought…After.

Erratic camera-work, extreme close-ups, shifting focus, and rapid cuts: when utilised sparingly by a proficient director working in conjunction with a skilled editor, these movie-making techniques can help to effectively convey urgency, panic, and terror; however, in the hands of a less talented film-maker, one who lacks the finesse and experience to make judicious use of such methods, the results can be virtually unwatchable. Such is the case with David L. Cunningham's After.

I've seen a lot of bad films in my time, but there are very few that I loathe with such intensity as this virtually unwatchable mess, 76 minutes of migraine inducing garbage during which Cunningham never once uses a tripod, rarely sustains a shot for over a second, dispenses with such trivialities as keeping his picture in focus, and shines as many bright lights directly into the camera lens as humanly possible.

If all of that wasn't bad enough, the plot is completely unfathomable for 99% of the running time, after which all becomes clear(ish) with a trite twist ending that didn't even seem all that fresh over two decades ago when Adrian Lyne used it for Jacob's Ladder (a film that After clearly strives to emulate).

The movie had a slow start but it had a very interesting perspective after a bit. It sort of introduces you to the whole urban explorer thing then gets into the story heavily. Very dynamic ending and exciting twists.

I feel sorry for the girl, she had it that hardest, will sort of. : 0 That would be one hell of a way to spend your vacation. Sort of a bit of hell meets extreme sports adventure. Either way it was fun to watch. Just wouldn't want to go there myself.

I think this is one of those movies that will be very interesting to watch a second time on DVD. There is so much going on!