Here After – A Refreshing Yet Solid Dark Comedy

Death is an interesting subject that has been examined from many different angles in film. While there have been many serious takes on such a somber act, some of the most poignant films that propose the deepest introspective questions towards this have been those that use humor as the primary messenger. While not plunging to the greatest depths on the subject of death, Here After (or Faraway Eyes) cleverly sees the comedy and at times, absurdity, of an ominous and unavoidable adventure that awaits us all.

Here After is a dark comedy that centers around souls who have died and are attempting to cross over to whatever is next. The rules of the universe are simple – souls crossover in pairs so those who die without having met their soulmate are released on a journey to find them or spend the rest of eternity as a forgotten being. Michael (Karl) is a recently deceased actor who was left to find his soulmate. Through many rules and misadventures, he begins to realize that what he thought was love or what would lead to love is nowhere near the true nature of finding someone who completes another’s existence. This is emphasized by the various spirits he encounters as some have completely given up their search while others are desperately looking for a connection. As Michael begins to change his perspective, he meets Honey Bee (Arnezeder), a living being who can communicate with the dead. As they grow closer, both Michael and Honey Bee begin to experience the very thing that the universe had been waiting for triggering a race against time to be together before it’s too late.

Writer and director Harry Greenberger’s take on the idea of the beyond delivers a refreshingly humorous and crass perspective with just a sprinkle of cautious optimism which is perfectly exhibited in Michael’s sensibility towards all of the nonsense that surrounds the act of crossing over. Karl, as Michael, does a wonderful job of portraying a person in such a strange circumstance and the ridiculous and entertaining perks of being deceased. Arnezeder as Honey Bee delivers an equally striking performance and possesses such incredibly authentic chemistry with Karl that it becomes easy to become enraptured by their story and root for them based on the audience’s emotional investment.

Despite all of this, Here After does suffer from some minor pacing issues that lead to many scenes extending beyond a particular timeframe where it becomes evident that a second edit would’ve benefitted the narrative flow. However, these scenes do not detract from the story but feel allowed to naturally progress or linger for the amounts of time in order to solidify Michael’s evolving relationship with Honey Bee. While a reduced runtime might lead to a lighter viewing experience, resulting in more of a mainstream film, the film’s decision to keep these scenes in the finished product assist in developing an authentic and earned payoff by its conclusion.

In the end, Here After is a solid watch that in spite of some minimal issues, delivers on its messaging of what is it all for? Life can be lived in many ways and there is an element of humor in that it continues to move on. Through knowing this, the only constant is Love, and the film successfully and humorously examines the importance of such an impactful and necessary feeling or as it simply states, “You’re on your own until you are no longer on your own.”

still courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

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