After We Fell
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to After We Fell
After We Fell (2021) is the third installment in the popular 'After' film series, continuing the tumultuous love story of Tessa Young and Hardin Scott. The film, a romantic drama based on Anna Todd's novel, delves deeper into the couple's intense relationship as they face life-altering decisions regarding Tessa's career in Seattle and shocking revelations about both their families. Known for its focus on the passionate and often toxic dynamic between the lead characters, the movie explores themes of love, jealousy, betrayal, and self-discovery amidst a backdrop of emotional drama and conflict. The narrative frequently tests the boundaries of their commitment and individual growth. Targeted primarily at young adult audiences who have followed the book series and previous films, 'After We Fell' maintains the franchise's characteristic blend of steamy romance and high-stakes personal drama. The content is generally appropriate for mature viewers, given its explicit sexual content, pervasive strong language, and portrayal of unhealthy relationship patterns. Viewers can expect a continuation of the intense emotional rollercoaster that defines Tessa and Hardin's journey, with new challenges threatening to pull them apart.
Things to Consider
Romance and Sexual Content
The film features highly explicit and frequent sexual content, including multiple passionate sex scenes with implied sexual acts, partial nudity, and suggestive dialogue. Contraception is sometimes omitted, and there is a scene depicting the use of a morning-after pill.
Tessa and Hardin engage in several lengthy and explicit sex scenes, including in a hot tub and a home gym, with passionate kissing, removal of clothing, writhing, moaning, and thrusting motions. In one instance, a sex scene occurs without contraception, leading to Tessa purchasing a morning-after pill. The movie also includes a scene of phone sex with implied masturbation by a character.
Profanity
Strong language is pervasive throughout the film, with frequent use of explicit curse words and sexual expletives. Multiple sources highlight the high number of 'f-words' and other strong profanities.
Disrespect & Rebellion
Disrespect and rebellious behavior are central to the dynamic between the main characters, particularly Hardin. His actions frequently undermine Tessa's autonomy and express defiance towards her choices and boundaries.
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LGBTQ & Gender Identity
The film includes a character who is identified as lesbian, although her sexual orientation is primarily used as a plot device to fuel the male protagonist's manipulative jealousy rather than for deep exploration of her identity. Her representation is brief and serves to create conflict for the main heterosexual couple.
Violence
The movie contains several instances of physical violence, primarily in the form of fistfights and aggressive confrontations. While not overtly graphic with gore, characters engage in physical altercations that result in visible injuries and demonstrate volatile tempers.
Substance Use
Alcohol use is a significant element, with characters frequently consuming alcohol, becoming drunk, and the theme of alcoholism impacting family relationships. Illegal drug use is referenced as a past issue.
Scary & Intense Content
The film contains intense emotional drama, frequent arguments, and volatile confrontations, creating a consistently tense and sometimes distressing atmosphere. Hardin's unpredictable and aggressive behavior contributes significantly to the film's intensity.
Anti-Christian Themes
The film promotes a 'Romantic worldview' where personal happiness, lust, and self-gratification are prioritized over traditional moral and ethical boundaries. Characters frequently engage in actions driven by passion and jealousy, without clear moral accountability or emphasis on virtues aligning with biblical values. The Movieguide review specifically mentions 'strong pagan elements'.
Witchcraft & Occult
No discernible instances or themes related to witchcraft, sorcery, occult practices, magic rituals, demons, spells, or supernatural elements were found in the movie's content or related reviews.
The 'After We Fell' film presents a worldview that significantly diverges from biblical values, emphasizing a 'Romantic worldview' where personal happiness, often synonymous with intense, passionate love and sexual gratification, is the ultimate pursuit. This perspective frequently contradicts biblical teachings on self-control, purity, and the sanctity of marriage, as characters engage in frequent premarital sexual encounters and prioritize their desires above moral boundaries. Moral accountability is largely absent, with characters often acting out of jealousy, anger, and manipulation, yet rarely facing lasting negative consequences for their vices. Instead, their destructive patterns are often framed as passionate or a reflection of deep-seated issues that Tessa is expected to 'fix' through her enduring love for Hardin. The film largely presents a materialistic or relativistic view of life, where truth and morality are subjective to individual feelings and experiences rather than anchored in an objective standard. There are minimal, if any, themes of redemption rooted in sacrifice, forgiveness, or grace that align with Christian tenets. While Tessa's desire to help her alcoholic father could be seen as a positive element, the overall narrative often glorifies unhealthy relationship dynamics and personal indulgence. Family values are poorly portrayed, with both Tessa's and Hardin's families exhibiting significant dysfunction, and authority figures often being absent, weak, or also engaging in morally questionable behavior. Faith representation is virtually non-existent, and the film's underlying 'pagan motivations' as noted by one review, suggest a reliance on personal feelings and desires over any transcendent or divine guidance, portraying an environment where Christian principles are neither present nor valued.
Additional Context
Best For Ages
Not recommended for viewers under 17 due to prevalent strong sexual content, including implied masturbation and unprotected sex, frequent explicit profanity, and the consistent portrayal of a toxic and emotionally abusive relationship dynamic.
Good to Know
The film is part of a series, and understanding the full scope of the toxic relationship between Tessa and Hardin often requires context from previous installments. The portrayal of their relationship as 'hot and steamy' by some outlets, despite its unhealthy aspects, could be misleading for younger viewers.
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