Afterschool

Afterschool - 2008, Antonio Campos

I often count myself lucky that I went to school before WEB 2.0

Can anyone remember what the hell they did online before Facebook, Youtube and Wikipedia? I have a vague memory of reading funny stories on poorly designed websites that my dial up connection could download without too much trouble, and trying to find a decent NBA news website.

Enough has been written about the internet and its effect on kids to fill a thousand blogs, so I’ll keep my observations brief:

I’m sure that if I was in year seven or eight at school today, I would be a huge Facebook bully. I’ve never experienced any aspect of cyber-bullying, but I think it would have appealed a lot to me as a youth. The internet seems to have created a two-tear system of bullying. Poor rough kids don’t have the internet so they bully kids at school. Nice middle class kids have the internet so they bully other kids online, sometimes they don’t even do it anonymously. I was a nice little boy at school, and my educational experience was a pleasant one, but if I had had the opportunity to live out a second life, to carry out online whatever petty adolescent vengeance I may have harboured, who knows how I might have turned out.

Rob, the central character in Afterschool, is a nice upper middle class boy who has become an internet voyeur. He doesn’t need to do any bullying; he is satisfied just to watch. He likes to watch violent porn and real videos of school kids fighting. The internet allows him to become withdrawn and detached without getting bored or feeling like he’s missing out on much.

The well-to-do mixed boarding school where Afterschool is set is populated with teenagers who appear not to really like each other, but this may just be Rob’s perception. Rob is a bit of an outcast but he’s not completely friendless, he still manages to pull a nice girl, but no one else he hang’s about with seem like they care for him much.

Whilst shooting some footage for a video arts class, Rob is the only witness to the drug induced death of two beautiful senior twins who are the most popular girls in school. Their death is caught on tape. The bulk of Afterschool follows Rob as his video project becomes a memorial to the girls, officially sanctioned by the staff.

The popularity of the twins and the way the staff at the school turned a blind eye to their drug use, and that of other pupils, is a subtle critique of the way glamour and any level of celebrity is seductive, even to those who should know better. Specifically in the way the staff put the reputation of the school above the wellbeing of the pupils.
Rob’s failing is that he is a voyeur, but this is no greater fault than of those who find glory by mere association with the popular twins.

The only character who seems to have a shred of sincerity is the school counsellor, but to begin with he seems creepier than the other members of staff because he’s so keen to talk to Rob about his thoughts. This reflects the modern notion that any adult who displays any concern about the wellbeing of a child should be treated with suspicion.

Reviews for Afterschool are very mixed. It’s a slow film, but it’s incredibly atmospheric. Very uneasy from beginning to end, it’s very well shot and directed; one of the best debut films I’ve seen. Scenes are often framed with the actors just out of shot and with an economy of camera movement that reflects Rob’s apparent detachment from the world, even when he is involved in a very serious situation. The young cast provide understated and believable performances.

The original cinematic cut of the film was 107 minutes long. Unfortunately the DVD version (the one available on LoveFilm at least) is 142 minutes long. The slow pace is therefore drawn out to a degree that makes parts of the film a tad boring. I enjoyed and recommend it, but I’d definitely prefer to watch the shorter version if I get the change to see it again.

Antonio Campos hasn't made any other films since. I hope he has something in the works though, as he’s clearly one to watch.