I spent a lot of time fast forwarding during this because some parts were just flat and I was expecting something more. Maybe I was expecting a bit more depth from the other characters (the only one who seemed to have it was Kate) and I wanted to see the connection between the reality show and actual reality a bit more clearly. It's as if the movie needed about 10 more minutes for us to have an ah-ha moment. It really just fell flat for me.
After the Reality
2016
Action / Drama / Romance
After the Reality
2016
Action / Drama / Romance
Plot summary
The life of a contestant on a 'Bachelorette' style reality show is thrown into turmoil when the sudden death of his father forces him to quit the series prematurely and reconnect with his estranged sister at the family cabin.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Lacked something, but not sure what...
a love letter to family members you wish you had known better
This is the second David Anderson film I've seen (check out "Boats Against the Current" with Jason Ritter). Anderson has this sublime way of evoking subtext in his stories that I've come to really treasure. This film has the added delight of presenting reality TV in a way that's not quite parody, but not quite naturalism either. It makes for an interesting contrast for the narrative, which explores the depths of grief. All in all, I found this film evocative, unique and deftly made.
Spoon-Fed Emotions and Flat STory
The trailer cherry picks "deliciously pitch-perfect" when that quote applies only to the reenactments of YOUNG BUCKS, the Bachelorette-style reality TV show. Frankly, they were pushing the age of the male suitors. Top billed Matthew Morrison is 38 and his face looks every bit of it.
Less successful is the family drama that isn't very interesting and reeks of "prodigal son" shtick. Morrison isn't very spontaneous and doesn't really create and inhabit characters. He brings his set repertoire to the role and takes on the character's name. That's it.
The script suffers from absence of subtlety. EVERYTHING the characters are thinking comes out of their mouths. The expository dialogue reveals that the writer/director doesn't trust the audience to perceive anything. Thus we end up with emotions by braille.
This would do better on Lifetime TV than the big screen.