Penny opens the door to a room while having a house party and finds her husband fondling a friend of their daughter's who has had too much to drink. She has no doubt about what she's just discovered, but her husband doesn't feel caught out, nor can he understand how she could have interpreted it as anything wrong. It was simply a gesture of protection and affection for a boy who was feeling very ill. This is the starting point of the magnificent miniseries. After the party, on Filmin. A New Zealand production that will fill you with doubts and conflicts until the very last minute. The series takes place five years after that fateful moment that destroyed their relationship. Phil tries to rebuild his life with a strong heart and the peace of mind that his ex-wife's accusations have never been proven. Penny, magnificently played by actress Robyn Malcolm, lives with the conviction that he is a pedophile. Malcolm co-created the series with Dianne Taylor because she wanted to create a character that would distance itself from the stereotypes portrayed by actresses her age. Penny is skilled at dealing with more rebellious teenagers with her students; she is athletic and a committed activist. She tries to be a good mother, but she has become sullen. She is radical, stubborn, expeditious, and capable of overstepping the boundaries of what is right if she believes she is right. Very few people support her. Phil is a charismatic and patient man, a loving father and grandfather, and a good high school teacher. Friends and family will have to take sides, and that's the same dilemma for the viewer. The writers haven't made it easy for us. Who's telling the truth? Phil, a man of integrity falsely accused, or Penny, a woman who won't rest until justice is done.
After the party It's a perfectly stitched, seamless series, where every detail of the story counts, but, as in real life, we often overlook the details. It's one of those fictions that must be watched twice to appreciate its nuances. Viewers suffer from a constant sense of doubt. Is Penny an unhappy woman left alone by allowing herself to be swept away by prejudices and hasty conclusions, or is she a self-confident woman whose blindfold has fallen? And is Phil a sly manipulator or the victim of defamation by a bitter and vengeful woman?
It's a fascinating story that uses everything we know about bullying, pedophiles, the reactions of those around them, awareness campaigns, treatment protocols, and the behavior of pedophiles and victims to show us the cracks that exist behind these circumstances. It's a great lesson about the enormous complexity of the human condition. It forces us to ask ourselves about the cost of truth and whether it is a value we should prioritize in our happiness. After the party It's disconcerting, frustrating, distressing, and intriguing, no matter which hypothesis we lean toward. And, whether we're right or wrong, it's equally devastating.
