Stop Watching the After Movies Out of Order: The Complete Chronological and Release Date Guide

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Right, let’s talk about the After movies – a franchise with an absolutely bonkers backstory if you’re into that sort of thing. You might know them as those ‘bad boy plus good girl equals chaos’ romantic dramas. But how we got here is a story in itself, involving Harry Styles (sort of), a lot of internet fanfiction, and a level of melodrama usually reserved for soap operas or the Eurovision song contest.

From Boyband Fanfic to Big-Screen Melodrama

So, before any scripts were written or casting calls went out, After actually began as a fanfiction about One Direction, specifically with Harry Styles as the main muse. Anna Todd, the author, published this saga bit by bit on Wattpad back in 2013, and – classic internet weirdness – it had a huge following long before it was even finished. She’d already landed a book deal before typing 'The End'. That’s how we ended up with Hardin Scott (HS…), the rebel English love interest who’s about as much like Harry Styles as a Greggs vegan sausage roll is like actual pork.

If you fancy a quick-fire look at the wild journey – both in terms of the films’ release and their plot, here’s the breakdown:

The Films: What Happened, When, and Who’s Who

• After (2019):
  Released on 12th April 2019, the first film drops us into the life of Tessa (Josephine Langford), heading to college in Washington (Twilight déjà vu, anyone?). She meets grumpy, tattooed Hardin (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), and a whole load of mood swings, low-lit angst, and steamy dorm room scenes ensue. Susan McMartin, Tamara Chestna, Tom Betterton, and director Jenny Gage all worked on the script, which is probably why it tries to cram a bit of everything in.
• After We Collided (2020):
  Next up, 23rd October 2020 brought us more of the Tessa/Hardin merry-go-round. Anna Todd herself jumps onto screenplay duties this time, teaming up with Mario Celaya, and Roger Kumble (who did 'Cruel Intentions', which explains a lot) takes over as director. This is where the melodrama is dialled up to the maximum, and we discover just how many times two people can break up before it becomes medically concerning. If you’re here for high drama or unintentionally funny moments, this one delivers. Same cycle every time: happy, sulky, eruption, breakup, makeup, repeat.
• After We Fell (2021):
  Sharon Soboil takes over the writing, and Castille Landon slides into the director’s chair. Now, Tessa’s estranged dad – currently homeless – pops back up, and the couple’s wobbling relationship is further rattled by Tessa’s big Seattle job opportunity. It’s mostly Hardin grumbling and supposedly working on his anger issues. Here’s where critics start raising eyebrows at Hardin’s general behaviour towards Tessa (understandably). Anna Todd’s response to that:
  "I’m not writing books to be a good example… It’s just the story that I’m telling."
  Film ends with – you guessed it – a family bombshell.
• After Ever Happy (2022):
  The first repeat collaboration – Landon and Soboil back at it. Picking straight up from the last cliffhanger, there’s yet more fallout, another messy break up, and Tessa relocates to New York. Hardin, finally, attends Alcoholics Anonymous and gives sobriety a shot. When the inevitable reunion comes, things seem…slightly less toxic. Unfortunately, just as you think they’re on the up, Tessa uncovers a dramatic secret and it’s splitsville (again).
• After Everything (2023):
  Now here’s where they properly go off-script – literally. This one's not actually based on the books. Castille Landon keeps the director’s cap and writes solo. Hardin’s on a mission to win Tessa back, while Tessa, sensibly, is trying to move on. Hardin’s big idea: seek out his first love Nathalie for some closure (because nothing ever goes wrong with revisiting the past, does it?). Josephine Langford has less screentime, which wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but we do get a rare happy ending: a flash-forward where Tessa and Hardin are married with children. Cue relieved sigh from fans, but don’t get too comfortable…
• After: Next Generation (expected 2026):
  First hinted at in the post-credits of the After Everything documentary with a projected 2025 release (obviously didn’t happen, surprise), we’re now expecting it in late 2026. This one leaves Tessa and Hardin behind and follows their offspring – Emery, Auden, plus cousin Addy – as they navigate their own romantic, presumably disastrous, adventures. Landon’s still on writing and directing duties, but the cast is entirely new.

The “Proper” Order (and Release Timeline for Nerds)

If you want to watch these in the release order – which is also the order the events happen (for once!):

After (2019) → After We Collided (2020) → After We Fell (2021) → After Ever Happy (2022) → After Everything (2023) → After: Next Generation (TBA, possibly 2026).

Final Thoughts

Bit of trivia to finish: Despite its slightly trashy origins and all the outrage over Hardin’s character, the After franchise endures, partly because of its willingness to embrace its fanfic roots and go absolutely wild with the drama. If you ever doubted that a piece of Wattpad fanfic based on boyband obsession could become a half-decade-spanning film series, this is your proof. And honestly, who needs realism when you can have five films worth of endless drama and plot twists?

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