After the Party (2023– ) User Reviews

Phenomenal

[mmiceli0924 · 9/10 · 4 December 2023]

My goodness, this series is just fantastic. It was a weekly must watch for me, but when it becomes more readily available, you might be lucky enough to go directly to the next episode.

It's hard not to spoil this, and I wont. Robyn Malcolm and Peter Mullen are husband and wife, Penny and Phil. They are celebrating Phil's birthday and everyone is smashed. The plot will reveal itself by the middle of the first episode, but I will say this...Accusations are declared, thus ending the party, and spiraling into an on-going 5 year debacle.

The plot twists and turns, the viewer never knows the truth or what the circumstances are until episode 6, thus concluding this near perfect New Zealand series.

Robyn M and Peter M are just sublime, as is, basically every side character including Grace (their daughter), Ollie and Tom (Graces mates), and dean O'Gorman as Simon.

This is such a Must Watch.

After the Truth...

[pollygregorash · 8/10 · 4 December 2023]

This mini series is quite raw and purposely uncomfortable. Don't expect to see a hero storyline. The characters are messy and they draw you in starting with the first ep. The viewer will continue to question if they know where the show is going. Is Phil guilty of a horrendous and disgusting crime??? ...or has Penny convinced herself that certain events occurred when they actually didn't? Even Penny seems to be questioning her memory and what she really saw that night at the party. The first three episodes pack a lot of punch in terms of storyline and plot twists. Each episode only leaves more questions. The ending doesn't disappoint and you will likely be sitting there asking yourself how you couldn't see where the story was going all along. Get ready for a slight cliff hanger though with the show not quite answering one final question (although I think it's assumed it could only be answered one way with final scene). Amazing acting by Robyn Malcolm who totally steals the show.

Quality New Zealand drama

[zvmpzbhhw · 7/10 · 11 December 2023]

A quality NZ-made drama set in the capital city of Wellington, on and around some of the coastline. It was great seeing the Wellington backdrop and trying to guess where it was.

I watched the six episodes over a couple of days after seeing social media comments about how good it is. I have to agree. I've just finished watching, and am missing it already.

I don't agree at all with the reviewer who said it's slow and boring. There were some phenomenal acting performances from several of the cast and the series has a suspenseful storyline, which keeps you guessing.

I didn't rate it higher due to the swearing and nudity. Come on scriptwriters, every second word doesn't need to be the F word just to show how hip you are. That's just lazy writing. And the female nudity felt OTT and unnecessary. Other than that, I really liked it.

Amazing storyline Amazing performance

[randamakkah · 10/10 · 19 December 2023]

Ah I don't know how I missed this Show, this answered many questions, declared confusions, pointed and focused on very complex human behaviors, and the perspective of two sides of the story the community and the family meaning.

More of this please. The kiwi actress was so amazing and well known the struggle of the character within the story, the acceptance, the survival mood, and her personal life and truth how was hard to keep both and fight for the right thing.

NZ has to have more of this essential and successful storyline for drama television.

I loved this so much!! Well done well done production!

Brave, inspiring and Depressing all at the same time.

[abfabflorist · 10/10 · 29 April 2024]

Robyn Malcolm plays her role exceptionally well In this necessary but depressing story. Is It is set in Wellington NZ and the cinematography was brilliant. New Zealand certainly are aiming to punch high and they are very successeful with this drama.

I binged watched over two days - only because it was such a potent, emotionally draining drama to view too quickly. It really kept me guessing until the last episode. And that was due in part to the perfect acting by Robyn Malcolm with me believing every part her character expressed. Having said that her co-star Peter Mullen played his role exceptionally well. Very difficult role to play considering the subject matter.

All actors were so amazing.

Give us more of this quality drama pleeeese New Zealand.

Brilliant NZ Drama

[Ella- · 10/10 · 8 February 2024]

This is the best NZ drama I've seen. It was so realistic - contrary to other reviewers who thought it was boring I found the realism and complexity of the relationships gripping, honestly it is SO GOOD. The awkwardness and unintended hurt between family, the ambiguity of 'truth', the longing to be special and to be loved, for connection.

Sexual abuse is such a deeply sad subject - vastly under-reported, often dis-believed, hardly ever charged and even less convicted. Victims say the investigation and court process - often over many years is as traumatic as the abuse itself. Worse if you're not believed, ostracised or it leads to a not guilty verdict. You can see why so many keep it to themselves.

Child sexual abuse is the worst of all and more common than you'd think, children and youth are so vulnerable and easily manipulated. I have a number of friends who experienced it and never reported it, many of these abhorrent predators live freely.

Complicated by the fact some victims love or need their perpetrators at the time of the abuse, what then?

Super interesting and complex characterisation without being gratuitously graphic like many modern shows, highly recommended.

Riveting

[inspirelake · 10/10 · 6 May 2024]

Imagine believing something so powerfully inside of you that your entire life becomes a train wreck and, to everyone else, you are a loose canon of mammoth proportions. Is it true or is it not?

This is another amazing New Zealand production, like so many of theirs.

Robyn Malcolm is sensational. The entire cast fits their roles perfectly. The scenery is stunning. I began to watch a few minutes and binge watched the entire 6 of series 1, in one afternoon and evening.

Denial, lies, the delicate balance of trust. The fragility of youth. Manipulation and control. If you are a victim of abuse I would say to watch this with caution. A must watch.

Great show if you like being depressed.

[KaseyB12 · 6/10 · 4 February 2024]

It's well acted and you'll likely get frustrated with the messy main character but given the circumstances, it's not easy to be less messy. There are realistic aspects to this in that victims (especially boys) are unlikely speak up against an abuser so she was in for an uphill battle from the start. What's most frustrating is the abuser gets to simply disappear. He never faces any consequences and the annoying daughter never gets to know that her mother was right all along. I would rewrite the ending because we're sitting through an awkward, gruelling messy story, and would at least enjoy a satisfying ending...but nope, it takes you through misery and leaves you even more miserable at the end. There's no triumphs. No release for the main character. No resolutions. Great show if you like depression...(and I get that real life is like that...loads of victims never get justice but if you got nothing better to do with your time than sink your soul into this stressful mess, then...go take a nap instead - it will do you good).

Not a personal axe to grind

[Digital_Palimpsest · 6/10 · 30 April 2024]

Unlike many other people who seem to have been triggered by the accusations Grace brings, I'm not going to jump on my soapbox and lecture on the evils. What I am going to do is just say that while everyone, including the so called victim, deny that anything happened, Grace is the only one who continues to be obsessed by what she believes she saw. Eye witness testimony has been proven over again to be extremely unreliable and subject to a lot of "imagined" facts your brain inserts all by itself. It's part of why magicians can seemingly do things that you completely miss.

The obsession of Grace reminds me of the performance of meryl streep in Doubt. Interestingly it's the same obsession.

Slow and fairly dull.

[kenbo-87360 · 6/10 · 5 December 2023]

This sounded like a good story to be made into a TV show. Unfortunately, for me, it didn't deliver.

Set in New Zealand (I think!) a wife accuses her husband of molesting their teenage daughters friend. For some reason I presumed this friend would be a female. It wasn't it was a 16y/o boy.

Having just watched it I can't even remember the two lead characters names. The actors who played them though were very good. I'm aware of Peter Mullen from Ozark. He's a great actor.

This was predictable and had been done many times before. As a viewer we knew from the first moment that the wife would be right and her husband did in fact molest this child.

The ending was a bit of a whimper (I've watched six episodes and presume it has finished?). All very tame and nothing really surprising.

Not as good as the British or US dramas. It kept me mildly entertained but was nothing to write home about.