After Ever Happy was supposed to be the final instalment of the dreamily romantic YA After series, being based on the final novel in Ann Todd’s perennially popular book sequence, but they lied! We were expecting a prequel adapting the novel Before, but instead we got a whole new—and largely original—sequel. After Everything is on Amazon Prime Video from October 6.
Starting with 2019’s After, the series has followed the relationship between good American girl Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) and bad British boy Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), charting their ups and downs, their passion and peril, and ending on a bit of a downer as Tessa walked away from novelist Hardin’s book signing in the final moments of the previous film.
After Everything picks things up some time later, with Hardin determined to rekindle his relationship with the reticent Tessa. Following her to Lisbon, Portugal, he attempts to put the moves on her, but figures from his past threaten to upset the romantic applecart. He’s also on deadline trying to finish his latest book, much to the consternation of his editor (and we can relate).
We normally like to say that plot details are thin on the ground when the marketing department has been playing coy, but it’s especially true here—After Everything was filmed on the quiet in tandem with the last movie, only being announced in August 2022 when production had already wrapped. We understand we’re also getting a prequel and at least one more sequel.
You’ll see a lot of familiar faces in the stellar supporting cast surrounding our tumultuous couple, including Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Chance Perdomo, The Gilmore Girls’ Arielle Kebbell, and True Blood’s Stephen Moyer, all reprising their roles from the earlier films. One new face is Sex Education’s Mimi Keene, here as Hardin’s ex, Natalie? Is she the fly in the ointment, romantically speaking? Will Hardin and Tessa ever find true love? Will this series ever end? Probably, maybe, and no, in that order.
