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‘After Yang’ is Spectacular
Kogonada has done it again!
After Yang introduces us to a family as they grapple with the loss of their AI helper, Yang (Justin H. Min). But, of course, this quiet and thoughtful film is about so much more than that.
Sometimes, after finishing a particularly good movie, I want to track down the screenplay and study it. After Yang is one of those movies for me. It’s paced wonderfully and is filled with poignant ideas that linger with you after the film is over.
One of my pet peeves about movies, especially these days, is that they are unnecessarily long. I don’t mind a 3-hour long movie when it’s warranted (like The Irishman or Drive My Car), but I think a lot of stories can be told in 90 minutes.
After Yang proves me right. This film is only 95 minutes long and manages to pack an incredible number of themes and thoughts into the story without feeling overwhelming or overly ambitious. Ideas about human nature and the complexities of our relationships are woven seamlessly together to create an interesting fabric to wrap ourselves in for a little while. The film also explores our relationship with technology and the world around us.
Like Kogonada’s earlier work, Columbus, this film is quiet and thoughtful. There’s a subtle melancholy and a love of architecture throughout. The…
