Skip to main content

After Yang (2021)


After Yang is a 2021 American science fiction drama film adaptation written, directed, and edited by Kogonada. It stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 8, 2021 before having its North American premiere on January 21, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize.

In a near future, a family reckons with questions of love, connection, and loss after their A.I. helper unexpectedly breaks down.

Freddy's Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

F: Hello dear readers! Our second movie of the week is"After Yang", a thought-provoking and emotional film set in a peaceful and harmonious future society. It follows Jake as he struggles with the decommissioning of his adoptive robotic child, Yang, and grapples with the complexities of memory and death. The mood of the film is slow and mellow, but it never becomes boring. The acting is strong, and the ethereal soundtrack adds to the melancholic atmosphere. There's also a very funny intro where we see four different families competing in an online dance show. It's a funny moment that stands in contrast to the overall melancholic tone of the film. (watch the full intro below).

dancing after yang GIF
I always get an urge to dance after seeing choreographies like this.
F: One of the most interesting aspects of "After Yang" is its portrayal of a future world where humans and AI coexist peacefully. The glimpses we are given of this future leave room for imagination and provide a hopeful and positive portrayal of what is to come. The concept of living alongside walking AI and... clones is very intriguing.

After Yang GIF
Deep.
F: Overall, "After Yang" is a contemplative and philosophical film that invites the viewer to consider complex themes. If you have an appreciation for slow, meditative cinema and are open to exploring these themes, it is worth your time. The quote, "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly," perfectly captures the film's meditative and philosophical nature and is a phrase that stayed with me long after the film ended.

Technosapiens GIF
Technosapiens.
Freddy's Score: 78/100

FINAL SCORE

DANCE INTRO

TEA

BUTTERFLIES

Our blog is updated every day at 21:00 (WEST).

Comments

🎬 Join the CineIt Movie Club!

Get exclusive reviews and recommendations delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss a great movie again!

🍿

Support CineIt

Enjoy my rants?
Help keep the popcorn flowing!

Buy Me Some Popcorn

Popular posts from this blog

Sonatine (1993)

Sonatine is a 1993 Japanese yakuza film directed, written and edited by Takeshi Kitano, who also stars in the film. It won numerous awards and became one of Kitano's most successful and praised films, garnering him a sizable international fan base. The title Sonatine comes from the musical term sonatina. Kitano said that when learning the piano, when the learner gets to sonatinas they have to decide where they want to go, whether it is to classical, jazz or popular music; marking the point of crucial decision making. This refers to the character Murakawa in the film. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_Return Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war then escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108188/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** K: So, the list of Kitano films we watched continues to grow. This time we had an absolutely amazing picture - Sona...

Kpop Demon Hunters (2025)

Plot Summary: Three talented young K-pop trainees discover they have supernatural abilities to battle ancient demons lurking in modern-day Korea. They must balance their demanding training for a much-anticipated debut with their secret mission to protect the world. Directors: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Screenplay: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Producer: Michelle Wong Music: Marcelo Zarvos Starring: Arden Cho as Rumi May Hong as Mira Ji-young Yoo as Zoey Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu Yunjin Kim as Celine Ken Jeong as Bobby Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Peer Pressure & Pleasant Surprises My daughter came home from school the other day looking like she'd been left out of the cool kids' club because she was the only one who hadn't seen Kpop Demon Hunters. I knew right then my Satur...

Gunslingers (2025)

Plot Summary: In 1903 New York, a former gunslinger who has sworn off violence gets pulled back into a world of crime and betrayal when family secrets and old enemies resurface. Director: Brian Skiba Screenplay: Brian Skiba Producers: Randall Batinkoff, Brian Skiba, Laurie Love, Scott Reed Cinematography: Patrice Lucien Cochet Music: Richard Patrick Starring: Nicolas Cage as Ben Stephen Dorff as Thomas Keller Heather Graham as Val Scarlet Rose Stallone as Bella Tzi Ma as Lin Jeremy Kent Jackson as Robert Keller Costas Mandylor as Jericho   ***SPOILER ALERT*** An AI-Generated Mess The first thing that hits you when Gunslingers starts is an AI slop rendition of New York in 1903. Oh boy, I thought, we're off to a great start. The film then throws this bizarre mix at you: amateur-looking shots that seem filmed on a smar...

La Mante (2017)

Plot Summary: Twenty-five years after being imprisoned, Jeanne Deber, a notorious serial killer known as "The Mantis," offers to help the police catch a copycat killer, but only if she can work with her estranged son, who is now a police officer. Director: Alexandre Laurent Writers: Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Nicolas Jean, GrΓ©goire Demaison, Laurent Vivier Music: FranΓ§ois Lietout Starring: Carole Bouquet as Jeanne Deber / The Mantis Fred Testot as Damien Carrot Jaques Weber as Charles Carrot Pascal Demolon as Dominique Feracci Manon Azem as Lucie Carrot Serge Riaboukine as Crozet Robinson Stevenin as Alex Crozet FredΓ©rique Bel as Virginie Delorme Jump to the Plot Explained Section   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Boring, Wannabe Hannibal Lecter This is officially the first TV series review I'm doing here at Cine It. I'm no...

Cinanima Festival - 9th November

My Last Day at Cinanima (With Eva) For my second and, ridiculously, last day (lol) in Espinho for the 49ΒΊ Cinanima Festival, I took my daughter Eva to the Family Screening. This one was called "Mini Micro," a selection of short animations put together by Casa de AnimaΓ§Γ£o, held on November 9th at the Centro Multimeios. I'm gutted that I couldn't stay for the whole week... 😞 I really wanted to see the international and national competition screenings. But for now, I'm just doing my own little competition here at Cine It. πŸ˜› So, here's the full list of the shorts we saw, ranked from my favorite to my least favorite. πŸ“… A Quick Note By the time I'm posting this, the festival is still running (it ends on November 23rd). If you're anywhere near Espinho, make sure you catch it. It's seriously worth the visit. πŸ₯‡ Cine It Gold: Tiger (2010) In first place, no contest, is Tiger (or Tige...

Racketeer (2007)

Plot Summary: The film follows Sayan, a talented student and boxer in Almaty, Kazakhstan, during the post-Soviet 1990s. Drawn into the criminal underworld, Sayan rises through the ranks as an extortionist, facing tough decisions and moral dilemmas. The film portrays his journey through violence, betrayal, and the harsh realities of life in a lawless environment. Director: Akan Satayev Screenplay: Timur Zhaksylykov Starring: Sayat Isembayev as Sayan Murat Bisembin as Ruslan Zhan Baizhanbayev as Jan Saken Aminov as Aman   ***SPOILER ALERT*** First Impressions and Setting Second movie of the week, and now we are finally in Kazakhstan. This movie also starts with a newborn baby crying—what's up with that? My initial thoughts were that this felt like a Guy Ritchie-style film, but without the plot complexities. I'm a sucker for those stylish shots and quick montages that seamlessly transi...