After We Leave

I was very taken by this subversive, slow-burn sci-fi about immigration and the Haves and Have-Nots. It has a well-executed, almost noir aesthetic (shot by Destroyer's Julie Kirkwood), solid acting, strong editing, and an excellent, brooding score. As a first feature filmmaker, Aleem Hossain has shown amazing potential with what he can do on a tiny budget. And seeing how many awards the film picked up at sci-fi festivals, it's clear the tastemakers agree this film is a noteworthy addition to the genre. Its ponderous tone may not be for the action-loving crowd - it's more Kelly Reichardt than James Cameron - but if you like thoughtful SF, definitely check it out.

I have to admit I was kinda looking forward to watching this movie, a sci-fi with an appealing poster, and a story that looked interesting but the reality turned out to be completely different. Instead I got to watch a boring slow movie with decent actors but with a badly written script and a below average production. The script is full of unexplained parts that keep you guessing, and on top of that a quite dumb ending that doesn't bring any satisfaction. After We Leave isn't even sci-fi unless you count the fact that there is another planet to live on apparently, but other than that nothing happens slightly remotely interesting. It's basically a waste of time watching this movie, unless you're not easily bored and don't mind bad scripts.

I'm not one to slam new filmmakers, but newb writer, director and producer Aleem Hossain should've had a seasoned screenwriter go over his script.

The premise of the story was decent, but there was too much filler and very little substance. The ridiculously long and unnecessary near-still camera shots got annoying very fast. The plot and technical issues were very evident. Not even taking the slow pacing into account, the lack of substance made this 82 min run-time feel like almost 3 hours. This film needed to be a short, or a 1 hour TV length. What's worse, was Hossain's attempt for a plot twist at the end that was a huge fail, and gave this film that generic dumb ending you see in many cheap b-grade films.

Aside from the long dragged out scenes, Hossain's directing and camera work was ok for a newb, although the few action scenes had terrible choreography and poor camera angles. The cinematography and color choice needed to be much better. Even for a low budget indie film, the sci-fi should've been more apparent than a few CGI moments. Without those, you'd think the timeline was the 1980's. Although the score was quite fitting and impressive for a b-grade film, sadly, the sound was terrible especially during the action sequences e.g. gun fire. The acting was the main highlight of this film.

This film is not anything close to a 10, but certainly undeserving of any 1 and 2's. Cutting some slack for new filmmakers, I'm giving this film a generous 5/10.

These 1- and 2-star reviews are just ridiculous. People really have been dumbed down by Hollywood. If you like your movies glossy, formulaic, and with neat little endings that tie up all the loose ends, then this is not for you. But if you like movies with originality, that make you think, then give this a go. It's not fantastic, and it can be a little slow, but it's definitely worth watching. I'm glad I did.

Not a bad premise, but very badly executed. Acting was actually OK so the cast should be happy with their contribution, but the script is all over the place. Some parts simply make no sense (the biggest being the incredibly stupid and frustrating ending) whilst other parts are so ridiculously slow I needed to fast forward to remain even remotely interested.

It's just a bad movie. Not terrible, just bad. Give it a watch if you have nothing else to do, otherwise don't bother.

3/10 for the actor's efforts.