After She Died - Film Review

After She Died - Film Review

Post
Subscribe

Posted 2023-12-16 by Jennifer Muirheadfollow


After her mother's death and the breakdown of her relationship with her father, Jen is feeling alone. Then to Jen's horror and confusion, her father brings home his new girlfriend, Florence, who looks and sounds exactly like her late mother.

After She Died is an Australian independent horror film written, directed and produced by Jack Dignan. It is 100 minutes long and is filmed in English and Castilian Spanish with subtitles. It's an interesting film that does a lot with its smaller budget, with beautiful lighting and a chilling premise. However, I had some qualms about the casting and the writing.



I found the fact that the two female leads, whose characters are mother and daughter, looked basically the same age, very distracting. Going by the date on her tombstone, Isabel was 44 years old when she died, but the actress playing her, Vanessa Madrid, is only 27.

From the trailer, I was expecting it to be explained that she had been brought back to life in a younger body, but at the beginning of the film before the character's death, she still looks to be in her mid-twenties despite the granny glasses. I tried to ignore this and get into the movie but I really wish we could see more older female actors on screen. Paul Talbot, who plays John (Isabel's husband) was 41 at the time of filming and apparently wasn't deemed to be too old for the role.

If you can believe that these two actresses are mother and daughter I have a bridge for sale you might be interested in.




That annoyance aside, all the actors involved did an excellent job of portraying the bizarre situations they found themselves in. Adam Golledge and Annabelle Andrew as Jen's friends Adam and Cameron even brought some humour in a very short but hilariously awkward sex scene.

I also had to laugh at the line "do you know how much scientists get paid!" (implying that it was a lot). What kind of scientist? Public sector or private?



At times I was a little confused as to what was going on in the plot, since a lot was left unsaid and many of the characters acted strangely. For example, after Jen's high school graduation, which is the same day as her mother's funeral, her friends give her a hard time about not wanting to come out partying with them. I suppose this is meant to indicate that they are the worst friends ever, but the fact that Jen didn't even seem upset with them about their behaviour left me confused as to whether I'd mixed up the timeline or if Jen had somehow kept her mum's death a secret.

It added some gravity that the film is set in the aftermath of the 2021 bushfires, which is presumably how Isabel died. This also gives some more context to John's difficulty coping, since he is a fireman and would have seen a lot of tragedy on top of his wife's demise.There were some creepy moments, and a gruesome third act that led to an emotionally satisfying conclusion.After She Died is a watchable Aussie independent horror movie. It will be available globally on VOD from Friday 13th of January 2023.



#lgbtiq
#misc
#film_tv_reviews
#horror
%wneverywhere


More articles by Jennifer Muirhead:
5 Terrifying Movies to Watch for Halloween
Malevolent - Film Review
Sightless - Film Review
3 Horror Movies With Time Loops
Carnifex - Film Review
83022 - 2023-06-11 06:36:52

Tags

Music
Free
Arts_culture
Film_tv_reviews
Outdoor
Random
Nightlife
Family_friendly
Festivals
Community
Food_drink
Fundraisers
Educational
Holiday
Markets
Copyright 2024 OatLabs ABN 18113479226