Before settling in with After Yang the thing to remember is to get the tissues ready. Kogonada’s latest film will undoubtedly leave you with leaky eyes by the time the end credits land, and you don’t want to be left without something to mop up the tears. The film spins a highly emotive and meditative musing on a plethora of different topics, from grief to family; also placing an onus on identity and the power of memory.
Set in a near-future version of our modern world, it is possible to purchase a technosapien or “techno” to be part of your family. Parents Jake (Colin Farrell) and Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith) acquired their own, Yang (Justin H. Min), in order to help their adopted daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja) integrate into their home. After being a close family unit of four for years, the household is devastated when Yang malfunctions during a family game night. Tasked with either trying to fix Yang or have him decommissioned, Jake goes on a journey of discovery as he uncovers hidden secrets about the bot.
Sometimes you just need a big cry to feel better and After Yang certainly facilitates this. Kogonada laces his bittersweet story of a broken robot with an achingly heavy amount of melancholy. Sadness permeates every cell of After Yang, creating a grief-filled atmosphere for the stricken characters to inhabit. This density of emotions weighs on the viewer, but never suffocates them as hidden amongst all the sorrow are some moments of light and beauty. As Jake accesses Yang’s memory store he gets a peek into the world of a techno; Yang’s perspective on the world is wondrous and innocent. Montages of memories are played, charting the growth and friendship with Mika as well as images of the natural beauty to be found in the world. These moments lift the mood slightly, acting as a soothing salve to the emotional turmoil.
Alongside the investigation and musing around grief and how to cope with it, After Yang also addresses the rather hefty concept of what it means to be human. Although an artificial lifeform, Yang is a sentient being, one who just like everyone else is trying to figure out his place in the world. There’s a stunningly intimate exchange between Jake and Yang about, of all things – tea, which stands out as a real highlight of the film. The two characters exchange their views of the drink, the art of making it, and the difference of their experiences with the liquid. Unable to taste and enjoy tea in the same way as his human counterpart, Yang laments his place in the world, and whether if he can’t do simple acts such as sample a drink, how is he able to exist. Outside of his inability to drink tea, Yang is concealing secrets that prove he is human, potentially more so than many around him. Colin Farrell has rarely been better than he is in this film, this particular scene being enough to warrant an awards nod alone.
Kogonada raises timely conversations around mankind’s relationship and reliance with technology. Parenting today looks very different to what it did, even as recently as twenty years ago. This is primarily thanks to the advancement of technology with mobile phones and various other screens now an instant go-to aid for many strung out parents. Debate has been ongoing for years about how healthy this is for young minds and After Yang explores the argument in an interesting way. Jake and Kyra originally brought Yang to help Mika assimilate, but by their own admission, they have relied on him more than they should to the point where Yang knows Mika better than either parent. It’s a sad commentary, but one that will ring true in many households as children are placed in front of screens in lieu of quality family time together. After Yang expertly demonstrates the kind of situation that this reliance on machines could lead to, though Kogonada is careful to not brand it as bad.
When discussing After Yang attention has to be drawn toward the opening titles. The short sequence is already a strong contender for credits of the year as they manage to be both completely random and insidiously helpful to push the plot forward. They begin seamlessly as Jake, Kyra, Mika and Yang settle into their weekly game night, an online dance contest in which households compete in tiers based on the size of the family unit. As the game starts, the music kicks in and a synchronised dance battle begins. The editing flawlessly cuts between a handful of competitors as the dance is performed. The clever thing is that at least one member of each featured family will play a key part in the story to follow.
Much like Jake’s journey with Yang, there is so much to uncover and enjoy in Kogonada’s After Yang. Meticulous thought has been given to every tiny detail, nothing that you see is there by accident. The little flourishes add genuine richness, a favourite being the fusion of East and West within the decor and costumes. The deep yellow and teal colour palette helps to stir images of nature, and when you combine everything together you get a film as vast and as varied as life itself. Emotive and absorbing, After Yang will leave you with an ache in the heart, a tear in the eye, and a newfound appreciation for the world around you.
After Yang
Summary
A beautifully rich and melancholy collection of musings on what it is to be human and the healing power of grief.
After Yang was reviewed at Sundance 2022.
