Review of Hereafter (2010) by Marco P — 05 Oct 2011

Hereafter dares what many movies will not do; to ask the "deep questions." It may receive some criticism for falling short -- but I ask which is better, a movie that succeeds with low ambitions, or one falling short, aiming for brilliance? Over time, this movie has grown on me, as The Fountain has.

Hereafter doesn't play like a typical movie; there isn't conflict with each frame or scene, so much as there characters experiencing life altering events, and subsequently trying to cope, understand, and move on with their lifes. How does one simply move on when your cherished one has perished? Yes, we can accept that all living things must die, and that any time we have is a gift, but do such ordinary observations really heal pain?

A woman asks her lover if he believes in an afterlife. He says no, because we would've found it by now. I would ask if there is a forcer higher than this "realm", why do we think we could ever find it? I'm convinced some truths may never be revealed, no matter the technical achievements. But more importantly, there are several doctors who cannot explain near death experiences in people in various age groups, and various cultures. Surely this suggests something more profound.

Hereafter may prove to be slow and dull for some. For me, it was a thoughtful, meditation on life and death. I am reminded of Rabbit Hole, in which a mother explains you have pain for so long, one day it suddenly just becomes manageable. There is a little more hope to be found in Hereafter.