After.Life (2009)

After a car accident, a young woman caught between life and death meets a funeral director who claims to have the gift of transitioning the dead into the afterlife.

Director:

Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo

Writers:

Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo, Paul Vosloo

Stars:

Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christina Ricci	...	Anna Taylor
Liam Neeson	...	Eliot Deacon
Justin Long	...	Paul Coleman
Chandler Canterbury	...	Jack
Celia Weston	...	Beatrice Taylor
Luz Alexandra Ramos	...	Diane (as Luz Ramos)
Josh Charles	...	Tom Peterson
Rosemary Murphy	...	Mrs. Whitehall
Malachy McCourt	...	Father Graham
Shuler Hensley	...	Vincent Miller
Alice Drummond	...	Mrs. Hutton
Sam Kressner	...	Acne Kid
Doan Ly	...	Teacher #1
Jack Rovello	...	Tall Kid
Prudence Wright Holmes	...	Old Woman #1

Storyline

After a horrific car accident, Anna (Ricci) wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Neeson) preparing her for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances she's merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna's forced to accept her own death. But Anna's grief-stricken boyfriend Paul (Long) can't shake the suspicion that Eliot isn't what he appears to be.

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Plot Keywords:

breath on mirror | female star appears nude | female full frontal nudity | buried alive | engagement ring | 

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Taglines:

Life is the symptom. Death is the cure.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for nudity, disturbing images, language and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bill Perkins: (at around 1h 9 mins) The film's financier and Producer appears as a Security Guard arresting Justin Long at the school.

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Goofs

Despite the fact that Deacon had dyed Anna's hair brunette, it is back to red when she is in the coffin.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Eliot Deacon: It's time now. You're absolutely beautiful for your funeral.
[crossing his hands]
Eliot Deacon: It's as if you were still alive. Just sleeping. This is how they're all going to remember you.

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Soundtracks

Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 100, D. 929
Composed by Franz Schubert
Performed by Julie McBride
Recorded at Clubhouse
Played near the end, when Deacon puts it on while sitting in his car

User Reviews

Definitely not great but, quite clever and entertaining

After a horrific car accident, Anna (Christina Ricci) wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Liam Neeson) preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn't believe she's dead, despite the funeral director's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death. But Anna's grief-stricken boyfriend Paul (Justin Long) still can't shake the nagging suspicion that Eliot isn't what he appears to be. Paul desperately tries to convince the local Police Chief (Josh Charles) that Anna's alive. But the more he investigates her death, the more they question his sanity. As the funeral nears, Paul gets closer to unlocking the disturbing truth, but it could be too late; Anna may have already begun to cross over the other side.

After Life is a clever psychological thriller with a very creepy and mysterious atmosphere. The concept behind the story is very cool but the execution is definitely what made the film. Is Anna alive or is she dead? That is the big question of After Life and the film goes back and forth delivering several clues, some subtle, some not so much. And even though the film tries to be ambiguous, by the end, it's pretty clear what happened. Still, it will drive you crazy, in a good way of course. The film also poses some interesting questions regarding the nature of life forcing the viewer to reflect on his own existence.

Liam Neeson did a good job and Christina Ricci was exceptional in her role. Justin Long however, was largely disappointing. Overall, it's nothing outstanding but definitely a very entertaining flick and the director was able to put a different spin on a often used concept.

6.5/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 2009 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

After Life

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$59,946, 11 April 2010

Gross USA:

$108,595

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,425,535

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lleju Productions, Harbor Light Entertainment, Plum Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1