Here After

The plotline was promising and novel: a dysfunctional bachelor must find his soulmate after he's already died. Production values were surprisingly high for this low-budget film. The biggest problem was an amateurish script that was intermittently predictable, redundant and woefully inadequate. The movie would also have benefitted from a male lead with more charisma and authenticity. Christina Ricci was fine.

If you had 2 hours and literally nothing better going on... sure you could put this movie on, maybe in the background while you do a hobby or something. The dialogue feels really forced and cringey a lot of the time. The main guy in the movie is the biggest weak point, he lacks charisma. This movie is also not doing anything unique in any way, after I finish this review I'm pretty sure I will never think of it again. IMDB is requesting a 200 more characters. If you haven't seen the TV show "the good place" I would recommend watching that or this 1998 Japanese movie called "after life" or that black mirror episode "hang the DJ". I think all those suggestions have an interesting take on the afterlife and on romance in a way that is much more dynamic content.

Its premise is very accurate about how it feels to find or not find love - like the universe itself is welcoming or rejecting you. A couple of the reviews here call it offensive, the idea that you have to find your soulmate to get to heaven. I think they're shooting the messenger. It isn't fair and that's just like life, if not death.

The execution is ropey. Feels like it could have been better, but was rushed or something, but there are just so many problems. In particular, we know from the moment the guy meets the girl what's going to happen and it's simultaneously a bad resolution and much too easy - and no amount of histrionic running around, of which there's a lot - can hide that.

10/10? Not a chance. The film starts with a 4 minute monologue from the protagonist Michael (played by Andy Karl) as he sets up his backstory to the audience. This is a critical component of the film, almost a litmus test, because you need to decide right away if your idea of entertainment is having Karl's voice in your ear for the next 2 hours. If not, stop right there. If you are OK with it, then writer/director Harry Greenberger will offer a film which looks and feels more like a stageplay; and, if you get to the end, will offer you some insights on the real nature of LOVE. The entire production screams LOW BUDGET INDIE, suggesting that "Hereafter" (orig. Released as "Faraway Eyes") is more of a watch-on-an-overseas-flight film than anything else. Only Ricci shines -- she literally never gives an uninteresting performance. Those fake 10/10 reviews are demeaning to the production and the audience both.

A funny, quirky, Indie allegory for modern love in the city. If you can accept the tongue-in-cheek premise that you must have a soul mate to pass into the afterlife, you'll get the analogy of what it so often feels like to be single in the modern world.

I saw the film when it premiered Cinequest in San Jose as 'Faraway Eyes'. Then Covid hit and the marketing of the movie was paused. Now, re-named, 'Here After', the movie is a charming date-night flick and I'm glad to see it getting the wider release it deserves.

The movie isn't BIG budget, but if you like Indie movies that aren't plastic-wrapped predictable big studio movies, then 'Here After' is worth your time.