Reviewing Hardin and Tessa’s Relationship: Toxic or Not?
This review is a bit of a weird one and very very surface and basic because unlike most reviews that focus on the entire movie, I’m mostly just talking about and reviewing a relationship inside the movie here.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rewatched After, because I’ve rewatched so many times I lost count. I don’t know exactly what it is about it, I just know I go back to watch it every once a while.
Cover was designed by me in canva
Last night, I found my friend had After’s continuation After We Collided, and I decided to give it a watch. I’ve honestly been planning on watching it for a very long time but recently there’s been so many new movies to watch that I almost forgot of it.
About The Movie
This movie is the creation if Anna Todds in the After series of films. It was premiered in the US ok 23rd October 2023 and stars Hero Fiennes Tiffin as Hardin Scott and Josephine Langford as Tessa Young as the main characters. This sequel shows Hardin and Thesa’s struggle with making their relationship work following the breach of trust and lack of communication in the first film, After.
Hardin’s character
My honest opinion is going to piss off Hardin fandom because it’s that I think he’s a complete momma’s boy and can’t let go of shit that happened YEARS ago.
Like I get that his Dad was a douchebag for leaving his mom and everything, but the man has tried to make it up to him and has asked for forgiveness several times, and dude(Hardin) still finds a way to make every occasion about himself.
Like bro, he apologized and even your mom (who should be the one pissed and mad at him) forgave him so she could move on, so what’s the matter with you?
Gif from giphy
And every time he causes a scene in these occasions, he grabs a bottle and smashes a few things to show us he has a drinking problem. Like put the bottle down and grow the f up, dude.
Hardin and Tessa’s Complicated Relationship.
Image from source
I personally think two things about their relationship. Either Hardin and Tessa both are Narcissistic, or their relationship lacks A LOT OF COMMUNICATION(obviously). It’s really about whether or not the relationship is toxic or not because I think it’s pretty obvious the relationship lacks good communication.
It’s no secret communication is what relationships rely on to work, but Hardin and Tessa seem to have problems talking to each other in the heat of things and instead, both just assume the other person did something fucked up. It is only a while later after things are already sour they give the other person a chance to explain themselves by which time it basically is pointless explaining. They’re in this continuous counterintuitive cycle that they keep repeating…
Confront or talk to the other person about it when you notice something suspicious❌
Get defensive and react by doing something actually fucked up✅
Their relationship got me thinking what the true definition of toxicity is, and whether or not their relationship qualifies as a toxic relationship.
And Tessa, man it looks like she’s always looking for a reason to not trust Hardin, or something to find a problem with or get dramatic about. Like that Truth or Dare she started at the party with molly? You’d think she would be able to keep her cool but ended up loosing it over molly asking a question you’d think she could handle. I don’t see how she didn’t see molly’s question coming. Even I did:)
Some extra sauce
Oh and should I mention that this movie is the one I consider a movie with the highest number of familiar faces to me? Almost everyone of the characters had played an important role in a TV series I’ve seen already. I pointed at characters through out the movie like oh this is a and b from x and y. All of the related movies here are great shows you can check out if you’re looking forward to a great time.
| After Character | Reference Character | Reference Show |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor | Jughead | Riverdale |
| Vance | Frank | How to get away with murder |
| Kimberly Vance | Caroline | Vampire diaries |
| Karen Scott | Grace | All american |
What do you think over all about the nature of the Haressa relationship?
This review is really just me talking and maybe ranting(?) about constantly sighing my way to the end of the movie watching Hardin and Tessa go back and forth.
PS: I wrote this post 3 months ago and it’s been dusting up in my drafts since then. I’m on the road right now and can’t write much so I decided to do a little compromise posting from my drafts. I saw something about Riverdale today and I remembered I wrote this rough piece. So you just read my raw thoughts at the time as I didn’t do any edits or refinements to it before posting.