After Ever Happy

Hardin ( Hero Fiennes Tiffin ) is shocked when he learns that his father is not Ken ( Rob Estes ), as he has been told all his life, but Christian ( Stephen Moyer ). Deeply frustrated, he returns to alcohol, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend Tessa ( Josephine Langford ), who once again stands helplessly by as he plunges into misfortune. She could use a lot of support when she finds herself in a crisis. Luckily for her, there’s also Landon ( Chance Perdomo), who is always there for her when everything goes catastrophically again. It’s also he who offers her the much-needed perspective on how to get out of the stuck situation…

They have enjoyed great popularity in recent years: films about time loops in which the protagonists are trapped and who therefore have to go through the same experiences over and over again. Palm Springs or The Fare, to name just two of the successful examples. But as entertaining as it can be to watch other people struggle within a rep, it can be exhausting when you’ve trapped in one yourself. Or at least feels like the After series. It started with After Passion in 2019. Since then, a new film has been released every year that practically always tells the same story. And that also applies to After Ever Happy, the fourth part of the series so far.

The predecessor ended with a real revelation when Hardin had to learn that his father wasn’t his father at all. However, anyone who, given this twist, hoped that the plot might go in a different direction, will be in After Forever a little later taught otherwise. Because it comes as it always comes: He gets full, becomes aggressive, and pushes Tessa away. She is then devastated, runs after him, and lets it go at some point until he runs after her again. You can call it a vicious circle. Alternatively, a creative vacuum is also fine. The bad thing is that both Tessa and Hardin openly admit that they are treading water and that they can’t break the pattern. That’s some progress. It would be even nicer if they concluded it.

• After Ever Happy