After Life (1998)

After Life (1998)

A quiet and meditative fable that finds comfort in the simplest experiences

7.8

Movie

Japan
Japanese
Drama, Fantasy
1998
HIROKAZU KORE-EDA
Akio Yokoyama, Arata Iura, Erika Oda
118 min

What it's about

On a cold Monday morning, a group of counselors clock in at an old-fashioned social services office. Their task is to interview the recently deceased, record their personal details, then, over the course of the week, assist them in choosing a single memory to keep for eternity.

The take

While it would be easy to make comparisons to The Good Place and other shows and films dealing with the afterlife, Hirokazu Kore-eda's film is devoted to a single thing: commemorating the ordinary moments that make our life precious. Through little more than workplace banter and documentary-style interviews (with an ensemble delivering uncannily naturalistic performances), After Life reminds us how beautiful the mundane can be and how important it is for us to be present for each other in the everyday. And as the fim's characters prepare to create reenactments of each person's most precious memory, Kore-eda also defines filmmaking itself as an act of comfort and empathy. No existential crises here; an overwhelming sense of peace floods After Life, making it all the more memorable.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Katt Williams: Woke Foke (2024)

Comedian Katt Williams performs a messy, boisterous gospel wrapped in crass and gossip

5.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Drowning by Numbers (1988)

Peter Greenaway plays with structure and numbers in this surreal, quirky crime comedy

7.9

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

An Autumn’s Tale (1987)

Two Hong Kong immigrants find a new life, and a new love, in this New York-shot romantic drama

7.6

Forgotten Love (2023)

The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama

7.7

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Breaking the Waves (1996)

Lars von Trier breaks his rules in the tearjerking first film of the Golden Heart trilogy

8.1

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Shyamalan meets Black Mirror in this hugely entertaining, visually inventive apocalyptic thriller with a killer ending

8.2

The Breaking Ice (2023)

Three lost souls find a warm connection in this wintry, delicate drama

7.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.