After Yang
When his young daughter's beloved companion — an android named Yang — malfunctions, Jake searches for a way to repair him. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him, reconnecting with his wife and daughter across a distance he didn't know was there.
The film earned $131K at the global box office.
13 wins & 31 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
After Yang (2022) showcases precise story structure, characteristic of Kogonada's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 36 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jake
Yang
Kyra
Mika
Ada
Main Cast & Characters
Jake
Played by Colin Farrell
A tea shop owner and father who embarks on a journey of discovery when his family's android Yang malfunctions.
Yang
Played by Justin H. Min
A 'technosapien' android purchased to teach Mika about her Chinese heritage; his memories reveal a profound inner life.
Kyra
Played by Jodie Turner-Smith
Jake's wife, a mother struggling with her own sense of identity and connection within the family.
Mika
Played by Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja
Jake and Kyra's adopted Chinese daughter who formed a deep bond with Yang as her older brother figure.
Ada
Played by Haley Lu Richardson
A mysterious woman from Yang's memories who had a significant relationship with him.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes The family participates in a synchronized dance competition together, showing their normal life with Yang as an integrated part of their household.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Yang suddenly malfunctions and shuts down during the dance competition, leaving the family devastated and Mika bereft of her brother figure.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 24 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Jake discovers Yang's memory bank and decides to explore it, choosing to truly understand who Yang was rather than simply trying to repair or dispose of him., moving from reaction to action.
At 48 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat Jake realizes Yang was truly conscious and alive, understanding the profound loss while simultaneously recognizing his own emotional absence in his family's life—a false defeat that deepens his crisis., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 72 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Jake must accept that Yang cannot be repaired and will be donated to a museum, surrendering the last possibility of bringing him back—a death both literal and metaphorical., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 77 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jake realizes that Yang's gift wasn't being Chinese culture for Mika, but showing them all how to be present and appreciate small moments—he can honor Yang by living more consciously., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
After Yang's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping After Yang against these established plot points, we can identify how Kogonada utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish After Yang within the science fiction genre.
Comparative Analysis
Additional science fiction films include The Postman, Mad Max 2 and AVP: Alien vs. Predator.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
The family participates in a synchronized dance competition together, showing their normal life with Yang as an integrated part of their household.
Theme
Kyra asks questions about what it means to be alive and whether Yang has feelings, introducing the film's exploration of consciousness, memory, and what makes us human.
Worldbuilding
Jake and Kyra's family life is established with Yang as their adopted daughter Mika's cultural techno-sapien companion, showing their dependence on him for connection to Chinese heritage.
Disruption
Yang suddenly malfunctions and shuts down during the dance competition, leaving the family devastated and Mika bereft of her brother figure.
Resistance
Jake attempts to repair Yang through various means, visiting technicians and the original seller, debating whether to fix or replace him while grappling with what Yang meant to their family.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Jake discovers Yang's memory bank and decides to explore it, choosing to truly understand who Yang was rather than simply trying to repair or dispose of him.
Mirror World
Through Yang's memories, Jake discovers Ada, a woman Yang had a secret relationship with, revealing Yang's hidden inner life and capacity for connection beyond his programming.
Premise
Jake explores Yang's memories, discovering moments of beauty, philosophy, and emotional depth that reveal Yang as more than a machine, while reflecting on his own disconnection from his family.
Midpoint
Jake realizes Yang was truly conscious and alive, understanding the profound loss while simultaneously recognizing his own emotional absence in his family's life—a false defeat that deepens his crisis.
Opposition
Jake confronts the impossibility of reviving Yang while his marriage with Kyra grows strained; he meets Ada and learns more about Yang's capacity for love, increasing his sense of what's been lost.
Collapse
Jake must accept that Yang cannot be repaired and will be donated to a museum, surrendering the last possibility of bringing him back—a death both literal and metaphorical.
Crisis
The family processes their grief separately, sitting with the darkness of permanent loss while Jake contemplates what Yang taught him about presence, memory, and being alive.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jake realizes that Yang's gift wasn't being Chinese culture for Mika, but showing them all how to be present and appreciate small moments—he can honor Yang by living more consciously.
Synthesis
The family says goodbye to Yang and begins to reconnect with each other, with Jake more emotionally present; they donate Yang to the museum where his memories will be preserved.
Transformation
Jake watches Mika with full presence and attention, mirroring the way Yang used to observe small moments, showing he has internalized Yang's way of being truly alive.