If you’ve ever found yourself in the deep, dark corners of Wattpad, chances are you’ve stumbled upon a saga of corny, often sordid, romance novels that makes your inner teenager squeal. Well, guess what? After Everything is that guilty pleasure flick that’s currently owning the sixth spot on Netflix in the US, and fans of this elite genre are loving it.
Written and directed by the one and only Castille Landon, After Everything is a 2023 American romantic drama that refuses to apologise for its over-the-top romantic flair. It’s a direct sequel to After Ever Happy, the fifth instalment in the After film series, based on Anna Todd’s series of novels that have captured hearts and raised eyebrows in equal measure.
The story of After Everything follows Hardin Scott, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin (who portrayed a young Lord Voldemort in the film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), who is still drowning in the wreckage of his past relationship with Tessa Young (Josephine Langford). But, his publisher, Katherine (Louise Lombard), decides that Hardin needs to churn out a follow-up to his bestselling novel After.
What ensues is a rollercoaster of flashbacks and self-discovery as Hardin attempts to move on, fueled by some questionable decision-making and a few too many glasses of liquid courage.
The cast, led by Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Josephine Langford—once again in a terrible wig, delivers the kind of on-screen chemistry that has viewers both cringing and secretly rooting for their favourite messy couple. Louise Lombard, Stephen Moyer, and Mimi Keene join the ride.
Like most Wattpad adaptations, After Everything thrives on its unapologetic cheesiness and takes you on a journey that’s equal parts facepalm and heart flutter. Whether you’re genuinely invested in the story or just looking for an excuse to escape reality for a couple of hours, After Everything is the romcom that’s making waves on Netflix this week. So, let the guilty pleasure marathon begin.
You can watch After Everything on Netflix and catch the trailer here:
