I have never thought a relationship between two characters in a movie was annoying and cute at the same time. 

Netflix’s After We Collided is a prequel that follows the first Netflix Original, After. It’s a love story between two young adults with different personalities. Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) is a charming bad boy who takes Tessa Young (Josephine Langford), a soft-spoken, innocent girl, under his wing.

This being said, Tessa had a dramatic change after being with Hardin. I noticed that she had altered from being well-behaved to making unfortunate choices, and that annoyed me. The fact that Tessa was now getting into trouble because of some boy angered me to the point where I was yapping at my friend about it. 

When the movie first started, my friend told me to be attentive to the first scene. It showed an older man—seemingly homeless—asking Hardin if he had seen a particular person. It unnerved me that Hardin had pushed away the older man, who had simply asked for help. I was beginning to feel confused as to why I was told to “pay attention,” but by the end, I had finally understood. 

The next scene made me happier than the first. Tessa, now being away from Hardin, seemed to be staying out of trouble. She had been accepted for a job at Vance Publishing and started a new academic chapter. I assumed that I could be content with this storyline, but I was proven wrong.

Hardin and Tessa are soon back together after they meet up at a work party. At the party, Tessa, after having too many drinks, called Hardin without reason. At this point, I knew where this was headed. I was furious with the results of the call because, of course, the bad boy had returned. 

After a crazy night of drinking and Hardin returning, I thought the wild events would cease, but I soon realized how wrong I was. 

Tessa chose to drive back to where she and Hardin stayed together when they were once a couple. While she is there, she finds a Kindle gifted from Hardin as a late birthday present. Afterward, Hardin and his mother show up and ask Tessa to spend the night with them for her birthday. The situation ended up being the start of all the bad things that were to come, which made me upset. Tessa had a good life, a new job, and new friends until she and Hardin got back together.

It was the start of absolute chaos between the two. Fight after fight, Hardin and Tessa would try new ways to get back at each other. Each time they drank, it would cause more problems for both of them. This was the most infuriating relationship to watch. 

Although I was irritated by the couple making poor decisions, some cute moments had me in awe. Besides all of the unacceptable choices that were made, the two do have a bond. After every fight, Hardin and Tessa still found a way to make up. Their love for each other never stopped them from finding a way to work things out. By knowing this, I could accept their relationship a little better. 

And other scenes furthered my notion that, perhaps, they aren’t all that bad. In one particular scene, after Hardin had a nightmare, Tessa immediately held him in her arms and calmly talked him through it and put him back to sleep. Watching Tessa being there for Hardin through a hard time had me tearing up.

Overall, this movie was upsetting and endearing all at the same time. The acting, in general, had my attention. It seemed as if the actors were showing real emotions for each other, and it felt like they showed the feelings of love in real life. 

After We Collided is a substantial movie to watch. It’s both romantic and emotional and shows a great example of an unbearable relationship.