After Yang

After Yang is a 2021 American metaphysical science fiction drama film written, directed, and edited by Kogonada. It stars Colin Farrell, Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja, and Haley Lu Richardson. The plot follows a family's attempts to repair their unresponsive robotic child. The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 8, 2021, and was released on March 4, 2022, by A24 and Showtime. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

After Yang
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKogonada
Screenplay byKogonada
Based on"Saying Goodbye to Yang"
by Alexander Weinstein
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBenjamin Loeb
Edited byKogonada
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • July 8, 2021 (2021-07-08) (Cannes)
  • March 4, 2022 (2022-03-04) (United States)
Running time
96 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$131,465[2]

Plot

Jake and Kyra live with their adoptive daughter Mika and Yang, a previously owned robotic child they purchased from certified reseller Second Siblings, rather than from his original maker, Brothers & Sisters Incorporated. When Yang becomes unresponsive, Jake goes on a mission to repair him. Brothers & Sisters recommend replacing Yang, which means his body will decompose. Not wanting to upset Mika, Jake becomes determined to save his robotic child. In a flashback, Yang reassures a curious Mika that she is still part of the family despite being adopted.

Jake takes Yang to a cheap repairman named Russ, who discovers what he claims is a hidden camera inside of Yang. Jake takes the "camera" to a museum specialist named Cleo, who tells him that it is, in fact, Yang's memory bank. Jake goes home and watches Yang's memories. They include short clips from every day of Yang's life, including his time with a woman named Ada. The next day, Jake takes Yang to Cleo. In a flashback, Yang becomes sad about his inability to truly live.

Jake tracks down Ada. She confirms Jake's suspicions that Yang had been in a relationship with her. Jake and Kyra decide to move on, letting Yang decompose and donating his memories to the museum. In a flashback, Yang and Kyra discuss the improbability of an afterlife.

Jake talks to Yang's previous owner, Nancy, who mentions that Yang was not a new product. Jake discovers a setting on the memory bank that unlocks more of Yang's memories. They reveal that Yang had lived an entire life before either Jake or Nancy owned him, one in which he developed a relationship with a woman named Ada. The older Ada is revealed to have cared for the aging mother in Yang's first family. Ada later dies in a car accident. The younger Ada tells Jake that the person in Yang's memories was her great-aunt. At night, Mika tells Jake that she does not want to say goodbye to Yang. Jake agrees, and Mika begins to sing a song previously heard in one of Yang's memories.

Cast

Production
Writer, director, and editor Kogonada

In June 2018, it was reported that producer Theresa Park had acquired screen rights to "Saying Goodbye to Yang", a short story written by Alexander Weinstein. The film would be written and directed by Kogonada.[3] In February 2019, it was announced that Colin Farrell would star in After Yang, which would be distributed by A24.[4][5] In April 2019, Golshifteh Farahani, Justin H. Min, Sarita Choudhury, and Haley Lu Richardson joined the cast.[6] In May 2019, Jodie Turner-Smith and Clifton Collins Jr. joined the cast, with Turner-Smith replacing Farahani.[7][8] Principal photography began on May 1, 2019.[9]

Release

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.[10][11] It was released simultaneously in theaters and streaming on Showtime on March 4, 2022.[12]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, the film earned an estimated $46,872 from twenty-four theaters in its opening weekend.[13]

Critical response
Colin Farrell was praised for his performance.[14]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 163 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.80/10. The website's consensus reads, "Although its reach occasionally exceeds its grasp, After Yang yields rich rewards for those willing to settle into its low-key wavelength."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

Writing for The New York Times, Brandon Yu described the film as an existential crisis for humanity that asked the viewer to evaluate what it means to be alive.[17] Polygon's Leo Kim said the film considers many issues, including "a testament on loss, an examination of our reliance on technology, and a deeply human story about care".[18] Richard Brody of The New Yorker said the characters in the film live in a "soft techno-fascism of petty pleasures and alluring surfaces that Kogonada boldly, slyly renders appealing."[19] David Sims from The Atlantic said the film asked what it means to be human in a world filled with technology, and that "the result is a pensive drama that plays like a quiet mystery, seeking to understand not just its human protagonist but the deeper underpinnings of all social connections."[20]

References
  1. "After Yang". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  2. "After Yang". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  3. D'Alessandro, Anthony (8 June 2018). "Theresa Park's Pow! Developing Alexander Weinstein Short Story 'Saying Goodbye To Yang' For Big Screen". Deadline.
  4. McNary, Dave (28 February 2019). "Colin Farrell to Star in A24 Robot Drama 'After Yang'". Variety.
  5. Mike Jr, Fleming (28 February 2019). "A24 Greenlights 'After Yang'; Colin Farrell To Star & Kogonada To Direct". Deadline.
  6. Sneider, Jeff (16 April 2019). "Exclusive: Golshifteh Farahani, Justin Min, Sarita Choudhury Join Colin Farrell in A24's 'After Yang'". Collider.
  7. Tura, Alessandra (May 28, 2019). "Gucci's Roman Extravaganza". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  8. Collins, Clifton Jr (May 31, 2019). "Not every script is worthy of the deep delve, but every now & then a gem is found leaving one pontificating 🤔 poetic ending wrapping on Grandpa's Bday, with a viewing of #HowardHawks #RioBravo ,big love to brother Adam @countingcrows #Zoe & #bluberry for support, movie nights,enlightening critical convos, perfect table setting for #kogonada @A24 #AfterYang , not to mention humbling life tune up from brother @shaunking and the beautiful people I was privileged to hear speak on #prisonreform . Be sure to follow PODCASTS". Instagram.com. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  9. "After Yang" (PDF). nyc.gov. NYC Media & Production. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  10. "The Films of the Official Selection 2021". Cannes Film Festival. June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  11. "2022 Sundance Film Festival: Feature Films, Indie Episodic, New Frontier Lineups Announced – sundance.org". Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  12. Pulliam-Moore, Charles (2022-02-01). "Death is not the end of life in After Yang's first trailer". The Verge. Retrieved 2022-02-01.
  13. "Domestic 2022 Weekend 9". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  14. Multiple sources:
  15. "After Yang". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  16. "After Yang". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  17. Yu, Brandon (March 4, 2022). "With His Sci-Fi Android, a Filmmaker Considers What It Means to Be Alive". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  18. Kim, Leo (March 10, 2022). "After Yang intentionally subverts sci-fi's fetishistic 'hollow Asian' trope". Polygon. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  19. Brody, Richard (March 7, 2022). "The Politics of Beauty in After Yang". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  20. Sims, David (March 4, 2022). "A Small-Scale Sci-Fi Film That Asks the Genre's Biggest Question". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
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