After.Life (2009)

The film "After.Life" is a bit of a head scratcher; it's meant to be a psychological thriller but the only one that seems to be psychologically thrilled is Christina Ricci's character. The film had an interesting concept but the production and the script fail to full take advantage of it. The story is murky and full of moments that make you feel stupid for the the actors on the screen. As I continued watching, I kept hoping for some clear explanation as to why Christina's character was so challenged and what motive Liam Neeson's character had, but alas, the answers were vague at best. I'm confused as to why Neeson took this role and I've even more confused as to why Christina's acting chops have gone down the hill over the past 15 years??

Anna is a middle school teacher who is having an rough patch in her relationship with her boyfriend Paul. It's clear that they don't listen to each other and it feels like they really should break up. One day, Anna goes to the funeral of her old piano teacher, where she meets the owner of the funeral home, Mr. Eliot Deacon. Later that night she meets Paul at a fancy restaurant where things quickly go to hell when he says that he's moving to another city; she assumes he's breaking up with her and leaves when his real intention was to ask her to marry him. As she drives away full of rage during a heavy rain storm, she ends up in an accident on the freeway. When she wakes up, she finds herself in the prep room of the funeral parlor, unable to move. She sees Eliot standing above her, preparing her for her funeral which is to be held in a few days. He tells her that she's dead and continues to do so when she tries to insist that she is very much alive. The truth (?) is that he's sedating her (often) and is making it seem that she is dead. She's too weak and her mind it too boggled to escape, and every time she tries, she fails horribly. Justin tries to find out the truth but his efforts are just as wasted as Anna's. It's only when it's too late that Anna realizes that she is indeed still alive....