After We Collided is ultimately thought of as a bad film due to it being cliche, whether it be the characters, dialogue or overall storyline of the film.
After We Collided is the 2020 sequel to the first romantic teen drama, After, which was released in 2019.
The films are based on the fanfiction novels by Anna Todd, which are inspired by One Direction member Harry Styles, and sits in the same bracket as novels like the Twilight series and Fifty Shades franchise.
While the other aforementioned series straddled between cliched tropes and characters, it seems that critics could not get over the flatness of the After series. This was especially true with the release of After We Collided.
The film is considered a must-watch for those that enjoyed the first, if not, it is said that you should not bother watching the sequel.
Where does After We Collided pick up from?
When After concluded, main protagonists, Josephine Langford as Tessa and Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Hardin had reconciled following Tessa’s discovery that he had only initially made out with her due to a bet.
Picking up a month after the events of the first movie, it is revealed that the reconciliation was a figment of Hardin’s imagination and that they are still apart.
Tessa is starting her internship at a publishing firm, and Hardin is still musing about the breakup with a bottle in hand.
Eventually, the two rekindle their tumultuous relationship after Tessa discovers that Hardin had not told his mother about their breakup.
Why is After We Collided so bad?
After We Collided is regarded as a bad movie due to the fact that it is flat, as a result of its cliched narrative.
Many have touted the movie as being so bad that it is comical to watch, hence if you are looking to watch a movie that will draw a laugh, watch After We Collided. Primarily, the criticism stems from the entire plot of the movie.
Novelist, Anna Todd, along with screenwriter, Mario Celaya are behind the screenplay of the sequel.
Though Todd did not write the screenplay for the first adaptation, it was believed that having her co-write the sequel would elevate the first movie, which was also received meh reviews. It seems that the decision only further weakened an already shaky storyline.
Whether it was the dialogue, logic in sequences or change in rating, all these factors left the franchise even worse off than before.
Tessa’s and Hardin’s chemistry problematised
Considering that the franchise is based on the toxic relationship between Tessa and Hardin, the fact that the two show little, to no chemistry has been continually highlighted as one of the biggest pitfalls of After We Collided.
While the movie does create situations that force the two characters together, critics could not get past the lack of chemistry between the two of them.
To make matters worse, the sequel introduced the character of Trevor, played by Dylan Sprouse, to stem a love triangle. The fans were more taken with Trevor, than they were with the relationship between Tessa and Hardin.
After We Collided’s unrealistic dialogue
Another aspect of the movie which people could not get over is the unrealistic dialogue written for the characters.
Whether it is a line like, “Oh shoot, we forgot to buy you underwear”, or suggestive lines like, “Haven’t you got some carpet to munch on?” and “Haven’t you got some d- to suck?”
The dialogue in the movie continually sounds flat and not like the words which would be used by young adults in the twenty-first century, let alone in 2020.
Did changing the age restriction help After We Collided?
After We Collided was given an R-rated the age restriction, while After was rated PG-13. The change meant that the sequel could include more vulgar language and more sexually explicit content.
But even then, what was shared during these highly glossy sequences by director, Roger Kumble, were aesthetically pleasing visuals which did nothing to further the story or highlight the toxicity of the two’s relationship, if that was the intent.
Therefore, the change in the age restriction meant nothing in the overall improvement of the movie or storyline.
Conclusion
After is a film adapted from Anna Todd’s fanfiction franchise books that were inspired by Harry Styles.
The movie was released in 2019, with the sequel, After We Collided being released in 2020. After was received favourably compared to its predecessor, which the screenplay thereof was written by Susan McMartin, Tamara Chestna and Jenny Gage.
It seems that enlisting Anna Todd and fellow co-writer Mario Celaya, worked to the disadvantage of the sequel, as it is thought to be so bad that it is fun.
This is due to the overall cliche nature of the movie, whether in dialogue, characterisation, plot or the change in age restrictions.