After the Waterfall


After the Waterfall is a 2010 New Zealand drama based on Stephen Blanchard's novel The Paraffin Child. The film, Simone Horrocks' directorial debut, stars Antony Starr. It was released theatrically in New Zealand on 4 November 2010.

Premise

John Drean is a park ranger whose marriage to his wife Ana begins to suffer when their daughter, Pearl, goes missing under his care. Four years later, John is still looking for his little girl and his life seems to be at a standstill, while Ana is in a relationship with John's best friend, and the policeman behind Pearl's disappearance, David. Things begin to change for the better, however, when John's father, George, believes he saw Pearl walking past a shop window.

Cast

Darren Bevan of TVNZ stated that the film was great but slightly let down by Cohen Holloway's performance but Starr makes up for the small hiccup.
Francesca Rudkin of The New Zealand Herald gave the film 4/5 stars praising Starr's performance and the plot. She also praises Peter McCauley's performance and the soundtrack saying it adds to the atmosphere immensely.
Andrew Hedley of Flicks.co.nz praised Starr's acting but noted the film was at times inconsistent and poorly written. Helen Martin of Onfilm magazine praised Starr's acting alongside the camera shots and music.
Christine Powley of the Otago Daily Times criticised the inexperience of the crew but praised how the movie felt Kiwi without resorting to Kiwiana.

Accolades

The film received several nominations in the 2011 Aotearoa Film & Television Awards, including; director Simone Horrocks for "Outstanding Feature Film Debut", "Best Editing in a Feature Film", "Images & Sound Best Sound in a Feature Film" and "Best Lead Actor in a Feature Film" for Antony Starr.