After four films filled with emotional chaos, volatile romance, and fan-fueled devotion, After Everything arrives on Netflix as the surprise final installment of the After franchise. Billed as the ultimate redemption arc for Hardin Scott—played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin—the film sets out to bring closure to a character who has sparked both swoons and scorn over the years. Unfortunately, the result is a lukewarm, undercooked drama that struggles to justify its own existence, let alone the redemption of its flawed leading man.
Set in the aftermath of After Ever Happy, the film picks up with Hardin alone, brooding, and grappling with the consequences of losing Tessa (Josephine Langford), the woman who anchored him emotionally throughout the franchise. It’s a moody and introspective beginning—one that suggests a more mature, perhaps even poetic, conclusion. But the promise quickly fades as the narrative stalls in repetitive self-pity, bland side plots, and a glaring lack of chemistry due to Langford’s near-absence.
Let’s be clear: After Everything isn’t really about everything. It’s about Hardin. It’s about his guilt, his attempts at self-improvement, and his mission to atone for his past by confronting an old mistake from his trip to Portugal. Along the way, he’s working on a new book and attending therapy (a detail more implied than explored). This might sound like a worthwhile character study, but the film can’t decide whether it wants to be a deep emotional reckoning or a soft romantic drama with little consequence. In trying to be both, it ends up achieving neither.
The Portugal subplot introduces a new character: Nathalie, played by Mimi Keene, a woman from Hardin’s past who was deeply hurt by his actions. His effort to apologize to her is meant to be the emotional fulcrum of the movie. Yet, the scenes fall flat due to rushed pacing and a lack of emotional depth. The apology feels hollow, the reconciliation far too easy. There’s no true confrontation, no satisfying catharsis—just quiet acceptance and a shrug toward resolution. For a character who spent four films creating emotional wreckage, this “redemption” barely scratches the surface.
