The study of the relationship between Artificial intelligence and sentience is always a compelling topic in science-fiction skewed movies, typically viewed through a cautionary lens in films such as Terminator and Ex Machina. However, recent films such as Brian and Charles and now After Yang are flipping genre expectations, with a more positive and thoughtful exploration. Based on the short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang” by Alexander Weinstein, A24’s festival hit is finally hitting UK shores via Sky and NOW – and it’s a beautiful sci-fi-esque film for heading into the Autumn season.
Directed by Kogonada, After Yang centres on the technical malfunction of Yang (Justin H. Min), the family’s beloved companion android and brother figure to the young Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja). As his daughter is visibly distressed by the breakdown of Yang, tea seller Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way to have him repaired rather than traded in. However, he quickly discovers there’s much more than meets the eye to the android, as his journey to help fix Yang leads him to realise that life has been passing him by – leading him to reconnect with his wife (Jodie Turner-Smith) and daughter.
Following one of the best opening title sequences ever (a brilliant scene of the central family and other families competing in a synchronized-dance competition), After Yang quickly changes tone with the malfunctioning of the “cultural techno” Yang. What follows is a beautifully emotional and gently paced 96-minute drama delving into themes of the shared feeling of loss and grief, while also spotlighting how the trappings of a modern world can often distract us, cautioning viewers to not let life pass you by. Jake’s journey discovering Yang’s hidden recordings impart a moving meditation on the human experience, as he unveils the droid’s fascinating past and his incredible connections to the families past and previous. While the core narrative initially appears relatively slight, Kogonada wonderfully peels back the many layers of the quiet mystery – keeping you entranced throughout.
Despite the film predominantly being explored through the lens of Colin Farrell’s Jake, After Yang really is a brilliant character ensemble with a number of outstanding performances. Justin H. Min is particularly excellent as the caring but somewhat distant droid Yang, who helps the adopted Mika navigate her Asian identity among her family dynamic, beautifully liking her situation to the Chinese tradition of grafting trees. Min’s dynamic with Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja really is touching and incredibly believable, with the pair proving the true heart of the film. Jodie Turner-Smith also shines as Kyra – particularly in a key scene questioning Yang’s philosophies and thoughts on the afterlife, but does feel somewhat underused in comparison to Farrell.
Meanwhile, Farrell is afforded an impressively transformative arc as he sensitively reconnects with himself and his family through Yang’s experiences and memories, as he navigates his own grief for the android. The moment he realises he’s been missing his daughter growing up, too preoccupied and worried with his tea shop, is a wonderfully acted and realised scene – along with one of the most captivating sequences of preparing tea using traditional methods ever!
For a film set against a science-fiction backdrop, After Yang holds a surprisingly gentle and almost muted view of the world it inhabits. Set in a vague future time at an unspecified place, there’s only brief but captivating glimpses of the technologically advanced outside world with self-driving vehicles, technosapiens and surveillance/spyware, with the core focus on the family unit. It’s an evocatively shot film, with vibrant warm hues and an almost Terrence Malick-esque Tree of Life touch to the flashback memory scenes, leaning heavily into the nature-inspired visuals.
Verdict
After Yang is a beautiful, thought provoking and gently paced mediation on life, love and our relationship with artificial intelligence. A24’s latest offering is well worth the wait, particularly for the poignantly explored dynamics between the central family – and that opening dance sequence!
