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Aftersun

Aftersun

TV movie200660 minMidcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Director
Peter Lydon
Starring
Peter Capaldi, Sarah Parish, Anna Madeley, Juan Pablo Di Pace

Jim and Sue married young and 20 years later find themselves on holiday in Spain - an anniversary present from their children - with very little to say to each other

Where to watch

Where can I watch Aftersun?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Aftersun on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Aftersun?

Aftersun earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Feel-good.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Aftersun worth watching?

Aftersun's Midcredits score is the 65th percentile of all films, from 198 ratings across 3 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

65th percentile

Better received than 65% of films

73rd percentile among Comedy62nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)66th
Approval (how many liked it)61st

66 /100

66th percentile of all films

76th percentile among Comedy66th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

68th percentile among Comedy58th percentile among 2000s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

27th percentile

198 ratings across platforms

20th percentile among Comedy20th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 39% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a low-key, character-driven drama about a married couple on vacation where little external action occurs.

Fans praised

  • strong performances by Parish and Capaldi
  • relatable and heartwarming depiction of everyday relationship dynamics
  • effective blend of comedy and serious drama

Detractors panned

  • banal, predictable plot with no surprises
  • nothing happens, dull and uneventful

What stands out

Acting80

praised as beautifully acted, especially Parish and Capaldi

Dialogue75

arguments delivered with venom, witty

Ending75

satisfying resolution and loose ends tied

Emotional impact65

described as heartwarming and relatable by fans

Atmosphere60

scenic Spanish locations appreciated

Humor50

giggling moments but more serious than comedic

Originality40

derided as anodyne and predictable, familiar TV drama tropes

Plot and storyDivisive35

minimal external events, conflicts arise from character interactions

Watch experience

What is Aftersun like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
Warm
Heaviest: middle
Warm humor
Register
WarmTender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material with earnest warmth, playing the marital drama and comedy straight without irony.
The rideThe film maintains a gentle, warm tone but has a middle stretch of marital tension and sunburn crisis.
StructureA straightforward linear narrative following the couple's holiday from arrival to reconciliation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, uplifting feeling about the resilience of long-term love, with a tinge of wistfulness for the illusions of youth.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2% (this title)
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Second chance: A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a long-married couple whose stagnant relationship is revitalized through their holiday interactions and a confrontation, fitting the rebirth archetype with a second chance at love.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfMarriageBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Marriage · 2% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines a long-married couple's communication breakdown and rediscovery of commitment, contrasted with the illusions of young love.
StanceThe film celebrates the resilience of a long-term marriage by showing the couple overcoming distance and reaffirming their bond.

The world

ContemporaryRuralRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Kevin Sargent
Settinga holiday villa in Spain
MusicThe score supports the emotional shifts without being intrusive.

Cast and crew

Who is in Aftersun?

Cast

Peter Capaldi
as Jim
Sarah Parish
as Sue
Anna Madeley
as Esther
Juan Pablo Di Pace
as Felipe
Steven Webb
as Stuart
Jodie Kelly
as Helen

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Aftersun?

Movies like Aftersun include She's Having a Baby (1988), Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) and The White Sheik (1952). Of the 12 closest matches, most are second-chance stories, and most are films set among the suburban middle class.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its subject: marriage. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Aftersun?

5.2K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: marriage in crisis. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.