Death is the one thing there seems not yet to be answer for. What happens to people after they die? When sitting up at night pondering that which others have asked time and again, what better way to stretch the imagination than with a movie? This movie in particular was given a limited release back in 2010, and though it’s not a movie that really offers much closure where the afterlife is regarded, Hereafter tells a tale about how people connect with death and in their own specific ways.
Hard to believe this movie came out ten years ago, as the subject matter and aesthetic of the film is ahead of its tenure. It’s also not for everyone. For those seeking a simple plot with a simple formula, this just isn’t the one. Hereafter follows three characters and in three separate capacities, eventually intertwining them in unpredictable ways. George (played by Matt Damon) is a physic who can connect with the dead simply by touching someone’s hands. Marie (played by Cecile de France) is French TV journalist who survives a near death experience, believing that she saw what was on the other side before she was resuscitated back to life. Then there is Marcus (played by twins Frankie and George McLaren), a twin who loses his brother to a car accident causing him to then miss and long for his brother and any closure he can get.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, Hereafter shares the perspective of three people who are essentially lonely because of their connections to death.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, Hereafter shares the perspective of three people who are essentially lonely because of their connections to death. It jumps back and forth between what is happening between the three, so patience and an acute attention span is necessary for the viewing. The music and scoring compliments the rest of the movie sufficiently, and the style in which the film is presented is not patronising or overly supernatural to the point of turning it in to something else. This is a positive, but it may not be evident from the first watch. It’s not the most common of formats for a Hollywood production, and for some this could be a problem, so bear that in mind. It seems to be a movie that some will love, and others will hate, but there’s no denying the creativity of the story and how it’s presented.
Hereafter likely won’t offer a uniquely different perspective on death but it will revisit it in a way that is not common place, and that can be refreshing. The actors are on their game, though they are not stretched so thin that it shows as if they had to do an overabundance of prep work. Also of course there is Clint Eastwood who gives audiences a taste of something else, rather than the same churned out studio conveyer belt films that are only ever out for profit. Love it or hate it, but above all else, watch it and make an independent assessment. Hereafter is streaming on Netflix in select territories and is available for online purchase.
