I always find that handling the tough topics, especially with indie film, is a hit or miss kind of thing. You rarely get an average movie. It's either pretty darn good or a complete waste of time. When it comes to "artsy" film, you up the ante a little more simply because the same scenario exists, as when handling the tough concepts. "An Afterlife" penned by Jeremy Rigby does both. As the title suggests, the idea stems from the question: What happens when we die? Clearly a tough choice of concepts to begin with. Now make it an arthouse film as well... that's just madness. You have the setup and whatever you happen to read in the description, now you're being let loose into the mind of a killer during his final moments. At least, that what appears to be the case. You see reader, "An Afterlife" can be quite dizzying; and I don't mean the visuals alone. Attempting to mentally keep pace, as you try to puzzle out the comings and goings of the film can be tough. What works best, as I found out early on, was to simply go with it and allow Ryan Neil Butler, who directed, to take you on a strange journey. No questions asked. It's only then that you will really enjoy the visual mash-ups that follow, and maybe catch a glimpse of the intended outcome of the film. As I wrote above, hard concepts and artsy styles can make for disaster but here, in this case, the two tough elements manage to co-exist... if only enough to get the point across. The ending result is a pleasantly messy, often chaotic look into the "what-ifs" and "could-happens." Just the way you would expect the mind of someone "a little different" to work. Visually and technically, although a little jarring at times stemming from the way it was edited together, "An Afterlife" is a great looking indie film. With that written, I should also add that the crazy editing techniques work here. They actually further the odd narrative and showcase, rather than hide the crazy nature of this film. This is all framed with a nice dialog mix and some excellent post color work. This really doesn't look like an indie film. The divine, or hellish if you will, story playing out before your eyes is beautifully captured by a talented cast. Even a few of the wacky segments come across as just that. Wacky and almost cartoonish. Generally, writing that would be a negative but here, in this particular case... it is a huge plus. Lightening up the darker concepts enough to make them bearable. My only real concern with "An Afterlife" is the very same thing that makes it interesting. The jarring, crazy narrative itself. I personally thought it was great, but others may find it simply way to crazy. For the casual viewer, being bombarded with such a complex series of edits, timelines, and overall massively populated twelve minutes may overwhelm them early on. For those who give into the chaos presented, as I wrote above... a real treat awaits. Clearly different and cleverly unique, "An Afterlife" is art cinema at it's finest. Although maybe not for everyone, that's really the point. For those that "get it" and really pay attention, multiple meanings can be found within this short time spam. I could even go on to say it "may" deal accurately with the minds of some disturbed people. I could write it touches up on family dynamics, causes and effects and even the reasoning behind some dreadful real life actions. I could say all of that and I may be completely right, or completely wrong. Maybe it doesn't deal with any of the above and I'm simply reaching. That's the true beauty of this short film. It really allows you, the viewer, to draw your own conclusions and create your own scenarios. That my friends, is time well spent. -MC
