Aftersun ending explained: Where does Calum go in the end?

Written and directed by Charlotte Wells, Aftersun offers a bittersweet account of a father and daughter's trip to Turkey. We witness it through the memories of the daughter from many years later. With this seemingly simple premise, Wells carves out one of the most unforgettable coming-of-age films that leaves you with a pang in the heart. Here's the official synopsis for the same:

"Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't."

Aftersun is partly based on Wells's personal experience with her father, whom she lost many years ago. So, the film becomes her (and her character's) way of reconnecting with him in any way possible.

Despite being Wells' feature directorial debut, it earned several well-deserved accolades. It also earned its star, Paul Mescal, his first Oscar nomination. As Calum, he appears in the film's last frame with a camcorder. Let's find out what it means.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Aftersun. Reader's discretion is advised.

What happens in Aftersun?

Aftersun revolves around 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) and her father, Calum (Paul Mescal), who travel to a small Turkish town shortly before his 31st birthday. The trip seems to be Calum's way of making up to Sophie for his absence during her formative years. So, he hopes she enjoys her stay with him.

However, while in his thirties, Calum is overwhelmed by the burdens of adulthood. He feels lost and anxious but hides his insecurities from Sophie. She still understands his frustrations and makes him feel at peace even when he is not on his best behavior. While alone, he reads self-help books and learns self-defense skills, hoping to be a better father for her.

Yet, they part ways when Calum refuses to join her to perform a song in front of an audience. He walks over to the beach alone and smokes a cigarette behind her back. Soon, she returns to their room to find him already asleep. The next day, he apologized to her for his negligence. She cheers him up by singing a song with a group of tourists, but it gets him welled up. He sobs alone in the hotel room.

What happens at the end of Aftersun?

A still from Aftersun (Image via YouTube/A24)

Aftersun is essentially about Sophie trying to reconnect with her late father through the memories of this trip. While in Turkey, Sophie records their fleeting moments on a camcorder, which becomes her pathway to their shared past. It breaks her heart that she cannot share the same space with him. So, the tapes help her be more aware of what he must have been going through.

As an adult with a family of her own, she can understand Calum's signs of depression. So, the ending of Aftersun shows her trying to grab onto those fuzzy memories. In the final moments, the film shows Calum leaving Sophie at the airport and walking back through a space. It leads him to a rave scene, much like the ones from Sophie's imagination. Left intentionally ambiguous, the ending shows her trying to hold on to him when he felt the liveliest.