After Life
2019
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
The story
Tony had a perfect life. But after his wife Lisa suddenly dies, Tony changes. After contemplating taking his own life, he decides instead to live long enough to punish the world by saying and doing whatever he likes from now on.
What it’s like
Soft, unshowy British daylight does most of the work here: small-town streets under grey overcast skies, a local newspaper office with flat fluorescent strip lighting, a care home with washed-out pastel walls, and the bright, slightly too-sunny warmth of Tony's suburban house before and after the loss. The camera is mostly restrained and handheld-adjacent, with plenty of static two-shots in cramped rooms and long pauses where people simply sit. The score is sparse, with gentle piano and quiet strings that rise only at the sad moments, and the rest is ambient street noise, dog barks, and the hum of an office. The vibe is wry melancholy with a warm undertow, the kind of show that suits a rainy afternoon or a quiet evening alone. Its pace is loose and episodic, and its comedy is often bleak and cutting, but the emotional arc is steady: a grieving widower who is sharp, rude and self-destructive gradually lets the kindness of ordinary people back in. Intensity is moderate: the suicidal thoughts are real and discussed directly, with some dark and profane humour, but there is no graphic violence, and sadness rather than shock drives it. It suits viewers who want honest grief handled with bite and tenderness, and those comfortable with frank, swearing-heavy comedy about loss.
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