After We Collided
Following on from last year’s adaptation of author Anna Todd’s series of books developed from fanfiction she wrote, (famously inspired by the boy-band One Direction), After We Collided bizarrely abandons the initial target demographic of the first film, opting for a jarringly raunchy affair, that will ultimately please those who were already on board with the planned series.
Director Roger Kumble brings his experience from 1999s Cruel Intention’s and its subsequent sequel to present a film that doubles down on the sexual factor of the relationship between the two leads, with enough sex scenes to put the infamous 365 Days to shame. A bewildering decision once the UK’s 12A rating of the first film is considered, with After We Collided earning itself a 15 rating, ensuring that the pre-existing teenage fanbase may potentially be unable to watch the picture.
Perhaps this change comes with the author Anna Todd now working as one of the features screenwriters. The sequel finds itself in a curious position, Todd may perhaps be the best choice to adapt the material, being the one who understands the narrative and the characters arguably more than any, yet Todd offers a self-indulgent script, providing nothing to set the film apart from the numerous teen-fling counterparts. However not knowing the source material this is ultimately a difficult thing to judge, as Todd may be penning a far more faithful adaptation than what was perhaps given in After, resulting in a film that existing fans (if they can see it) may find enjoyment in.
That said, from an outside point of view the narrative in After We Collided, despite being wholly forgettable, also portrays some strange and potentially harmful representations of consent and abusive relationships. Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford struggle their way through the film, drifting between sex scene to argument repeatedly before the narrative increasingly seems to retread the steps of the first film, before reaching perhaps the most comedic ending moment of the year. Dylan Sprouse is drafted in to create some forced tension between the lovers, and despite being eye-rolling in the execution, Sprouse stands high above fellow cast members thanks to his natural charisma, something that is lacking in any other aspect of the film.
After may have served as one of the 2019s more forgettable features, delivering a film that checked all the boxes of a typical teen-romance, feeling part Twilight with a worrying dash of Fifty Shades of Grey, yet it seemed to know what type of film it was. Coming from the recently founded film division from the user-generated story website Wattpad, it is no shock that the company has decided to further advance their film prospects, with the hugely successful Kissing Booth series finding its roots on the very site. Yet here with After We Collided, Wattpad has failed to harness that fun and over the top nature that drew thousands towards the mentioned Netflix hit, resulting in a film that is uncomfortable to watch yet equally teeters on the verge of being a so-bad-its-good experience.
