SEXTANT: masculinities, sexualities & decolonialities

ABSTRACT

Engaging with masculinities theory, this article analyses the film Aftersun (2022), directed by Charlotte Wells, and its contribution to the representation of the plurality of masculinity and fatherhood in popular media. Media portrayals of fatherhood have tended to present fathers and masculinity from a limiting and monolithic perspective that does not acknowledge its multiplicity. However, the complex depiction of masculinity in Aftersun transcends reductive portrayals of ‘breadwinner’ or ‘protective’ fathers, instead demonstrating a multilayered performance of fatherhood that is linked with vulnerability and caring, while also navigating masculine norms such as repressed emotions. Analysing the character Calum, this article explores the internal conflicts of masculinity that this father experiences, revealing tensions between tenderness and societal expectations of strength. By exploring this film through a masculinities theoretical framework, this article argues that Aftersun works to reconstruct the traditional paternal figure and contribute to broader dialogue around masculinity and mental health.

KEY WOrDS

fatherhood, caring masculinities, new masculinities, men’s mental health issues

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.