After Ever Happy
After Ever Happy
As a shocking truth about a couple's families emerges, the two lovers discover they are not so different from each other. Tessa is no longer the sweet, simple, good girl she was when she met Hardin — any more than he is the cruel, moody boy she fell so hard for.
Manuel Frangis reviewedApril 15, 2025
I just watched After Ever Happy, and I give it 3 out of 5 stars. This movie is exactly what I expected from the After series — dramatic, emotional, and filled with intense stares, wild arguments, and moments that feel way bigger than they actually are. If you have made it this far into the series, you kind of know what you are signing up for. It has its flaws, but if you are into this kind of love story, there is still something here that works.
This chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Tessa and Hardin are still caught in the middle of their very complicated relationship. There is a lot of back and forth. They hurt each other, they try to heal, and then they end up back in the same place all over again. It can feel repetitive at times, but that is kind of the whole point of their dynamic. It is toxic and passionate and messy, and this movie leans all the way into that.
Josephine Langford continues to do a good job as Tessa. You can see how tired and emotionally drained she is. She still wants to believe in something better, but she is also starting to realize she needs to take care of herself. Hero Fiennes Tiffin brings the same moody, brooding energy as Hardin. His performance has a few stronger moments this time around, especially when he starts to confront some of his past. The chemistry between them is still there, even when the story gets a little too dramatic for its own good.
The biggest issue for me is how uneven the pacing feels. Some scenes move fast, others drag, and sometimes it feels like we are watching the same conversation happen over and over. There is a lot of emotion in the dialogue, but sometimes it comes off more like a soap opera than a grounded romance. Still, there are moments that hit harder than I expected. You can feel the characters trying to grow, even if they keep falling into the same habits.
Visually, the movie looks nice. The lighting and cinematography are soft and romantic, which fits the tone. The soundtrack also adds to the mood. There are quiet moments where the music does a lot of the emotional heavy lifting, and it works. It creates this dreamy, melancholic vibe that makes even the slower scenes easier to sit through.
What keeps this from being a higher rating is the lack of real progress. These characters have been through a lot, and you want to see them finally reach a place that feels different. Instead, it circles back to the same patterns, and by the end, it feels like we are still stuck in the same place emotionally. There are glimpses of maturity, but the story never fully commits to letting these characters grow past their pain.
I give After Ever Happy 3 out of 5 stars because while it has some strong emotional moments and solid performances, it struggles to move the story forward in a meaningful way. Overall After Ever Happy is a decent entry for fans of the series, but it does not bring much new to the table. It looks good, the leads still have chemistry, and the emotion is there but it might leave you wishing for more growth and a little more closure.