Directed by James Kent and based on the book of the same title by Rhidian Brook, The Aftermath follows the lives of three people in a love triangle: Rachel Morgan, played by Kiera Knightly; Lewis Morgan, played by Jason Clarke,  and Stephan Lubert, played by Alexander Skarsgard.

Kent’s credits include several episodic TV shows such as The White Queen and Inside Men. He’s directed a documentary and feature movies as well. Currently, he is in production with Jessica Chastain for the film Seducing Ingrid Bergman.

If you haven’t seen it yet or want to see it again, the movie is available on Blu-ray/DVD or streaming. 

The story takes place during post-World War II. A British colonel and his wife were assigned to live in Hamburg during the post-war reconstruction, but tensions with the Germans who had previously owned the house took a toll on the British couple.

Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse pen the screenplay for The Aftermath. This isn’t the first time these two wrote together. Other movies include Frankie & Alice and Race.

Watching the trailer, I kept thinking this story had a twist. Otherwise, the mundane attitude of “poor me” turns the movie into a wet toast. Yet, I am intrigued and want to read the novel before I see the film because there appear to be many deep-seated thoughts.

Very few movie clips are available to see if the movie does follow the book or what the film is about. I posted some studio interviews that offer insight into the story based on the movie’s three actors.

The first interview is with Keira Knightley, and she reveals that the movie does not follow the book. I think the married couple in the story are without children. Their son is killed during a German air raid in England, and there is no second son like in the book.

Jason Clarke has played so many different roles in movies. He is so much fun to watch. In Serenity, he played an evil and disgusting man. In The Aftermath, he plays Lewis Morgan, who is trying to rebuild Germany and his life.

Alexander Skarsgard explains how the book and the movie are similar and relates the book to his role in the film. Skarsgard stars in another movie posted on Movie Roar called The Hummingbird Project, which is quirky with dark humor and quite different from The Aftermath.

The featurette tells the movie’s story, so there are spoilers, and beware—you watch at your own risk. The film doesn’t follow the book, which is a bit disappointing. I wonder if it will end the same way. I liked the book’s ending.

After the featurette is a movie clip, hopefully, the studios will not block it. They sometimes do block them. I don’t know why. Showing the clips promotes the movie and helps the box office draw. As you can see, eventually, the studio blocked the clip.

The Characters and Story featurette covers everything about the movie. It’s a nice piece because you become familiar with where the story physically takes place and when it takes place.

The next feature encompasses Clarke’s character. He plays a kind and troubled man, and it’s good to see him in this type of role.

It is Knightley’s turn to explain her role. She’s done an excellent job in this movie, making quite an impression.