If you've gone to the cinemas recently or even checked your social media accounts, odds are you've seen the trailer for the new movie, "After." It's a fanfic-turned-novel that's been adapted into the newest young adult romance sweeping across the globe.
This series has fans EVERYWHERE and I honestly don't know how, as part of the book lover community, I didn't even know about the series until a month before it came out. I must have been living under a rock because I am officially OBSESSED with this fandom!
"After" is the typical good girl/bad boy scenario, but with a fresh perspective and twist.
Tessa Young is starting her freshman year of college with everything in order. She's declared a major (English majors assemble!), has the sweetest boyfriend in the world and organizes her life down to the last minute. Essentially, she's me, but she lives in Washington instead of Virginia.
Hardin Scott is the resident "bad boy." He's all tatted up, wears the same black or white t-shirt almost every day, and has a steady stream of girls...but NEVER a girlfriend. Oh, and get this - he loves reading! Major Mr. Darcy vibes are dedicated to this dude because he's brooding, stylish, and British.
Of course, the two meet and sparks quickly fly - both from romance and anger. Like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," the two don't get off to a very smooth start, but they eventually work their way into a steady relationship. Well kind of.
Remember when I said Hardin doesn't have girlfriends? Well, that becomes a problem pretty quickly and is the source of a lot of stress for most of the book.
Without giving the entire premise of the book or movie away, I will say that this is your typical college romance, but there are a few twists and turns surrounding Hardin and Tessa's turbulent love. Regardless, you can't help but root for the unlikely pair (who doesn't root for the unlikely couple in romance movies tbh).
The movie recently came out in the United States and it's still making its way around the globe. There is a MASSIVE fanbase who's been around since the novel was first published online on the fanfiction forum, Wattpad. Since then, Hardin and Tessa's story has reached over a billion people and has its own complete series of five books with a spin-off duology about one of the novels other characters.
The movie is bound to have major success, with two fairly new actors to the U.S. screen. Josephine Langford is our Tessa Young. You may recognize her from the 2017 thriller "Wish Upon" or the Australian TV series "Wolf Creek." She is also the sister of "Thirteen Reasons Why" actress, Katherine Langford. And Hero Fiennes-Tiffin is our Hardin Scott. Hero starred as the young Tom Riddle in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." His last name may sound familiar and that's because his uncle, Ralph Fiennes, actually played the adult Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort in the HP series.
Needless to say, I think these two young heartthrobs will do Tessa and Hardin definite justice when fans and moviegoers see them on the big screen. I've been copiously searching for new scenes and footage leading up to the movie's release and if I can say anything, it's that this flick will be a treat!
If you like young adult films and romances, I would definitely recommend going to the theater to check out "After." I'd also read the book beforehand so you're emotionally prepared, but beware the steamy scenes are meant for older readers. I've linked the trailer below:
