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The Here After 15 rating

A teenager attempts to integrate back into society following a spell in prison, but the community is unwilling to forgive him.

Drama 2015 102 mins

Director: Magnus von Horn

Overview

Magnus von Horn’s incisive drama follows the story of John, a teenager attempting to integrate back into society after committing a terrible crime. As he tries to rejoin his old school, he finds wave after wave of hostility as the close-knit community thwarts his attempts at rehabilitation.

As an interrogation of liberal Scandinavian attitudes towards crime and punishment, The Here After is reminiscent of films such as Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt and Ruben Östlund’s Play, but von Horn’s approach is much subtler and more insightful. Revealing its complexities gradually, von Horn’s thoughtful direction is aided by an exceptional lead performance from Swedish pop star Ulrik Munther, whose enigmatic inscrutability as John adds to the story’s ambiguities. Filmed with icy detachment by the Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Ida, Lukas Zal, The Here After is an intelligently constructed, thought-provoking drama studded with pregnant tension and biting drama.