In 2019, the Wattpad book-turned-published-novel called After hit Netflix as a film starring Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford. The film quickly garnered a huge teen following with its PG-13 themes and sexual situations, creating a new couple for the TikTok age to latch on to.
Now After’s sequel, After We Collided, is stepping up its game with an R rating, a softcore porn-esque feeling and a sub-par script that easily earns the film franchise the title of “teen 50 Shades of Grey.”
The sequel takes place a month after the events of After and Hardin’s (Tiffin) big lie. Tessa (Langford) has an internship with Vance Publishing and is establishing herself as a professional, while Hardin is falling off the wagon missing her. Among her coworkers, Tessa meets Trevor (Dylan Sprouse), and the two become friends fast. The rest of the film follows Tessa and Hardin’s complex on and off relationship, as Tessa tries to decide whether she can trust Hardin again.
Arguably, the only good thing about the film is the performances. For the poor content the actors are given in the script, they do a great job. Tiffin and Langford are the perfect depiction of a toxic relationship and almost always deliver their lines in a realistic way that anyone who has been in either of their shoes will find themselves cringing at the truthfulness.
However, it’s Sprouse’s performance that absolutely saves the film. Sprouse is adorable and brings such cute, dry humor to the film that is the only truly wonderful part to watch. It’s fun to see him back in a mainstream franchise and killing his role, too.
The first noticeable thing about the sequel (so noticeable it is almost distracting) is that this is just a teenage version of 50 Shades of Grey. The two share plots that aren’t entirely exciting, an innocent heroine trying to advance her career who meets a toxic bad boy type that changes her world. The main focus is the steamy sex scenes and the almost uncontrollable nature the two main characters have around each other.
What is bothersome is the fact that the first film structured itself around having a teen/early 20s target audience and then created a sequel that is highly inappropriate for anyone who hasn’t yet reached college. The way the sequel shifted to an R rating from the PG-13 predecessor is shady because the younger audience who watched the more vanilla first installment is now hooked. I’d imagine the film franchise’s content will continue to get worse, only furthering the curiosity of younger minds
However, it’s naive of me to assume that high school kids aren’t exposed to sex on an everyday basis. I was once in high school, and I know what people talk about and what people do. The sexual content isn’t even the issue, although the first installment may have been misleading with the expectations. The real issue is the glorification of toxic relationships.
Anyone watching this is made to root for Tessa and Hardin. They are the two main characters and the ones the writers are setting up together in every installment. However, it’s really disturbing to watch a film that’s made for the teen and early 20s audience, particularly young women, promote a relationship where the toxicity radiates through every interaction. Hardin’s substance abuse and treatment of Tessa, i.e. possessiveness, overstepping, isolation from her loved ones, etc., are made to be “romantic”?
What type of message are you sending to young women about the treatment they should receive from men? Worse yet, what type of message are you sending trying to say you should stay with someone toxic, hoping they will change? It’s something that women who are younger with less experience in relationships are bound to latch on to and look to as an example for when they enter a toxic relationship. It is highly upsetting that this type of content is still being pushed to younger audiences who don’t know any better.
Any sane person watching this will rip their hair out, wanting Tessa and Hardin to leave each other alone. But the fun isn’t over yet. There are two more sequels that have been confirmed. Guess we’ll have to see if the franchise makes the smart move and helps both characters to live emotionally healthy lives, or if they’ll finish by promoting the toxicity yet again.
