Watch The Here After

The Here After is a 2015 Swedish drama film directed by Magnus von Horn. The movie is a gripping tale of a teenage boy, John, who is struggling to come to terms with his past, following his release from a juvenile detention center. As the struggles, he is forced to confront the harsh reality of his history head-on, which sets off a chain of emotional events that threatens to break him.

The film opens with John (played by Ulrik Munther) returning to his rural hometown, where he is greeted with mixed feelings by the locals. Some members of the town are willing to give him a second chance, while others are less forgiving, choosing instead to shun him altogether. Their reactions are understandable as John had been sent to a juvenile detention center for the murder of another schoolboy three years earlier.

The movie slowly progresses to reveal John's attempts to fit back into the community, and his struggles to cope with the damage that has been done to his relationships with his family members, especially his father Tomas (played by Mats Blomgren) and his younger brother. Tomas is still unable to come to terms with the horrific crime that John had committed and is actively seeking ways to make John pay for his past sins.

John's homecoming also brings him in close contact with Malin (played by Ellen Jelinek), a girl he had a crush on before he was incarcerated. Malin is now attending the same school as John, and their rekindled romance is one of the few moments of warmth and light in the movie. However, their relationship is fraught with tension, especially as John becomes embroiled in new conflicts with other boys in the school.

The Here After is a film about moral ambiguity, and one of its strengths is that it does not take sides or offer easy answers to the questions it poses. As the movie progresses, the audience is put in a difficult position, being torn between sympathy for John and the desire to see him punished for his past mistakes. Over time, the film reveals the depth of the psychological damage John has suffered and the kind of pressure the prison life has put on him.

The film's slow-burning pace is also reflective of its overall mood, with long shots and extensive periods of silence as viewers are given ample time to contemplate the emotions and actions of the characters- each of whom have their secrets and reasoning. The Here After, therefore, becomes more of a character study than a traditional plot-driven movie.

One of the most striking elements of the film is the cinematography, which captures the muted beauty of the Swedish countryside, but contrasts it with the bleakness of John's life. The use of handheld cameras also gives the movie a documentary-like feel, which is particularly effective in the prison scenes.

The Here After is an emotionally charged movie that is sure to resonate with viewers who appreciate a deeper exploration of the human psyche excelling in the grey areas of life. It is thought-provoking and haunting, leaving you to contemplate the consequences of a person's past actions while weighing out the basic rights of life for everyone. It's is an excellent film from Magnus von Horn, which attained worldwide critical acclaims and awards.

The Here After is a 2015 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 42 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.4.