--- title: "After Love: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/after-love/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/after-love" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # After Love (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 13 reviews: 10 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to After Love, with praise concentrated on Joanna Scanlan’s performance as a grieving widow confronting her husband’s secret life. The reviews repeatedly single out her physical expressiveness, restraint and ability to convey humiliation without overstating it. They also value the film’s sensitive treatment of grief and betrayal, finding emotional complexity in a premise that could lend itself to soap opera. Several see its measured approach as a strength. Reservations concern execution rather than the central performance. The Hollywood Reporter finds the ending a little too tidy, while the Evening Standard notes a few clumsy moments alongside its praise for the ensemble. Enthusiasm ranges from strong approval to more qualified appreciation, but there are no negative verdicts in the tally. Even the more moderate assessments admire Scanlan, making her work the clearest point of agreement across the reviews. ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2021. Bradshaw calls the film an outstanding drama, driven by Joanna Scanlan’s superb lead performance. He particularly praises how Scanlan conveys Mary’s humiliation and the suspense of her uncovering her husband’s secret life. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/03/after-love-review-a-lacerating-portrait-of-a-life-built-on-marital-lies) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2023. Felperin praises the film as a transcendent, emotionally satisfying drama, though its ending is a little too tidy. She especially singles out Joanna Scanlan’s physically expressive performance as a grieving widow. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/after-love-film-review-british-actor-joanna-scanlan-shines-as-a-grieving-widow-1235313632/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 86/100 (inferred from the text). 1 June 2021. The review calls the film a measured, powerful and thoughtful work. It singles out Joanna Scanlan’s nuanced, mesmerizing performance as its greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/after-love-2021/) ## IndieWire — Christian Zilko Rating B+. 19 January 2023. The critic finds the film an imperfect but beautiful exploration of grief and complicated relationships. Joanna Scanlan’s nuanced performance is singled out as a career-defining strength. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/after-love-review-joanna-scanlan-1234801187/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 4 June 2021. O’Sullivan finds the film a beautiful, inventive exploration of love and grief, despite a few clumsy moments. She particularly praises Joanna Scanlan’s subtle, stunning performance and the strength of the ensemble acting. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/after-love-film-review-brilliant-debut-feature-joanna-scanlan-aleem-khan-b938386.html) ## Little White Lies — Leila Latif Rating 4/4/4. 3 June 2021. The review praises the film as a nuanced, emotionally intelligent character study. It singles out Joanna Scanlan’s extraordinary, naturalistic performance of grief and betrayal. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/after-love-aleem-khan) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 2 June 2021. The review finds the film weightier than its soap-opera setup and ultimately moving. It particularly praises Joanna Scanlan’s sophisticated, compelling performance as a grieving and betrayed widow. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/after-love-grieves-house-divided-english-channel-aleem-khan-joanna-scanlan) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2022. Lodge finds the debut thoughtful and emotionally compelling, with cultural tensions handled elegantly. He especially praises Joanna Scanlan’s nuanced, quietly powerful performance. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/after-love-review-1235203439/) ## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2020. Festival review. The review is positive about Aleem Khan’s pensive debut. It singles out Joanna Scanlan’s powerhouse performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/after-love-london-review/5154063.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2023. The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the available text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/movies/after-love-review.html) ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 3/5. Parkinson calls the film a sensitive, considered debut feature. He especially praises Joanna Scanlan’s heartbreakingly excellent performance as Mary. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-543s9s/after-love/) ## /Film — Jeremy Mathai Rating 8/10. 20 January 2023. Mathai calls the film a quietly devastating, ultimately heartwarming meditation on belonging. He singles out Joanna Scanlan’s intensely vulnerable performance as the emotional anchor of the story. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1173163/after-love-review-a-quietly-devastating-slow-burn-on-what-it-really-means-to-belong/) ## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams Rating ★★★. 28 May 2021. The review finds the film a gripping showcase for Joanna Scanlan’s dramatic talent. It especially praises her emotionally intelligent central performance, which anchors the film’s balance of naturalism and melodrama. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/after-love-2021) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/after-love.md