In Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, Mescal plays Calum, a father on holiday with his young daughter at an exotic resort. The film is told from daughter Sophie's perspective, reminiscing a nostalgic holiday with her father told through figments of her memories. Mescal’s performance is subtle and emotionally nuanced. He conveys the weight of being a parent under pressure whilst also showing the audience flickers of his mental health struggles that affects his relationship with Sophie. He winds together the highlights of joy throughout the film with an underlying wave of sadness. Mescal earned an Oscar nomination for his work in Aftersun, and it is still heavily praised as a highlight of his career.
More recently, Mescal stars alongside Saoirse Ronan in a science fiction thriller, Foe (2023) directed by Garth Davis. Mescal plays ‘Junior’; a man offered a chance to join a special pilot programme, whilst a clone of him moves in to live with his wife. Mescal is able to portray the uncertainty his character feels, faced with a life-changing decision, as he is stuck between the chance to take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the love he feels for his wife. His performance is essential to the film’s themes, that show the blurred lines between reality and artifice, reflected in the world we live in today.
Mescal’s most recent casting in Gladiator II (2024) shows his wide range of acting skills, and allows him a wider audience to which to show his skills after more intimate projects such as Normal People, and All of Us Strangers (2023). The film follows his character, Lucius, on his journey to ‘reclaim Rome and restore it to its former glory’. It will be interesting to see how his usual quiet intensity will pair with the bold action scenes required for this blockbuster movie, in which he stars aside Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington.
