“After We Collided,” an unsatisfactory romance movie, released on Oct. 23, 2020 to Netflix, projects a passionate, yet toxic romance between an innocent small town college girl and an emotionally damaged “bad boy.” Produced by Anna Todd and Mario Celaya, the film uses mediocre acting that leaves the audience underwhelmed. Although it disappointed a majority of the audience, “After we Collided” succeeded to convey an irresistible plot that hooks us all.

The original movie, “After,” was released the previous year in 2019 and recounted the story of Tessa (Josephine Langford) who quickly found herself enthralled by troubled Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin). The first film takes the audience through how the two lovers met, and later the complications that they experienced. Cheating, substance abuse, and lying ultimately led to the end of their relationship. 

  The sequel is placed only a couple months after the events of the first film and depicts Hardin as a heartbroken drunk who spends his days getting tattoos in a state of solitude. Meanwhile, Tessa is coping with the breakup differently, working as an intern  for a publishing company. She attempts to distract herself from her first real love by spending time with co-workers and partying, but inevitably Tessa finds herself thinking about Hardin and the times that they had together. Once the two are back together, Tessa brings out the best and the worst in Hardin, realizing their relationship is not only codependent, but also that she is addicted to him. 

The movie was filmed in a sensual manner that caught the audience’s attention, but the dialogue felt ridiculous and predictable with the excessive cliches. The story was unrealistic while the characters were outwardly slut shaming one another and starting irrational cat fights, making the sequel less and less appealing. “After We Collided”, was by no means a remarkable movie, but it successfully captured the attention of rom-com lovers. This movie entices its audience with attractive actors, drama scenes and understandable humor, appealing to a wide variety of individuals.  

The chemistry between the two actors was lost in the sequel, making the film less fascinating than the original. The soundtrack for the sequel enticed indie lovers and made the movie feel more realistic through relatable music taste, which was necessary due to the other countless flaws. This movie does not only create drama out of pointless things but it is boring and repetitive. The filming locations were beautiful and unique including the serene lake that Tessa and Hardin swam in and the rustic apartment that Hardin lived in. Although the movie lacks quality and notable acting, the film is able to keep you engaged to understand Tessa and Hardin’s complex love story, receiving a three out of five rating.