'Dead Day' and Beyond: 10 Fascinating Ways TV and Films Have Depicted Life After Death
In late January, Peacock announced a straight-to-series order of "Dead Day," a series that follows an ensemble cast of characters who have to navigate the annual "dead day," the one day in the year when the dead can return to the land of the living to settle unfinished business.
To be developed by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson of "The Vampire Diaries" fame, the two seem excited to bring the "Dead Day" comic book to life, saying, "We have been looking for a project to do together and 'Dead Day' has all the ingredients we love as storytellers. Love, death, thrills and tears - and we know Susan Rovner and her team at Peacock is the perfect fit for this project."
While not much information has been released about the project, the premise of "Dead Day" got me thinking: what compelling ways has life after death been depicted by TV and film? Here's our list:
Fascinating Ways TV and Film Have Depicted Life After Death
1. Dead Like Me (2003-2004 TV)
Created by Bryan Fuller, "Dead Like Me" is a comedy drama series that follows a team of recently dead people who become grim reapers. In this show, reapers don't wear the traditional black robes. However, they still have to remove people's souls and escort them to the afterlife. An interesting, modern take on the grim reaper mythology, "Dead Like Me" also explores how death affects those still alive as well.
2. After Life (1998 Film)
Hirokazu Kore-eda's meditation on life and death, "After Life," asks audiences: If you had to choose one memory to live with for eternity, which memory would you choose? Prior to the film, Kore-eda conducted over 500 interviews asking people precisely this question, and the film contains some of this documentary footage.
Additionally, in Kore-eda's film, the recently dead arrive at a way station, where they're asked to select their happiest memory. Afterwards, the memory will be staged and filmed, so the dead can live with it forever and forget about their time on earth. For a captivating look into the human psyche, "After Life" will grab you and cause you to reflect upon your life.
3. The Good Place (2016-2020 TV)
"The Good Place" is a fantasy comedy series about a woman who is sent to the Good Place, a highly-selective utopia that's meant to reward the morally righteous. However, the woman has transgressed in her life, and she must hide her moral failings as she tries to become a better person. The series was highly popular and critically acclaimed for its creative premise.
4. Gantz (2011 Film)
"Gantz" refers to two Japanese action horror science fiction films based on an infamously graphic manga series. In the beginning of the first film, Kazunari Ninomiya's Kei Kurono and Kenichi Matsuyama's Masaru Kato are killed when a train runs them over. They wake up in a bare apartment with the Gantz, a black orb that gives them a mission to hunt down and kill aliens. If they're able to score 100 points, they have the choice to either be resurrected or bring someone else to life. Filled with action-packed sequences, including a spell-binding fight scene on a train in "Gantz: Perfect Answer," and perfect casting, "Gantz" is a wild ride.
5. Soul (2020 Film)
"Soul" is an animated Disney Pixar film about a music teacher, who is on a mission to reunite his soul and body, after they've been mistakeningly separated, in time for his big break as a jazz musician. Released direct-to-streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film is a homage to jazz, and the filmmakers consulted many jazz musicians during the production process. "Soul" is notable for its concept of mentor souls and the "Great Before," an inventive take on how we come to this earth and how we find our passions.
6. If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016 Film)
Based on the novel by the same name, "If Cats Disappeared from the World" follows Takeru Satoh's character, who is a young man dying of a terminal illness. One day, he's met by a doppelganger, who claims to be the "devil." The devil tells the young man that if he can choose one thing to remove from the world each day, he can live an additional day. However, as the young man selects seemingly innocuous items, the relationships in his life start to mutate and change. "If Cats Disappear from the World" reminds us to be thankful of the important people in our life, and how delicate life and death can be.
7. Goblin (2016-2017 TV)
A cultural phenomenon in South Korea and abroad, "Goblin" is about a decorated military general during the Goryeo dynasty, played by K-drama veteran and "Squid Game" guest star Gong Yoo, who is framed as a traitor and killed. To punish him, he's cursed to stay immortal so he can watch the passing of those he loves. However, he continues to help people despite his tragic past. "Goblin" is great for those looking for a bit of a historical twist to their TV show about death.
8. Beetlejuice (1988 Film)
Directed by Tim Burton, "Beetlejuice" is a fantasy comedy film about a recently dead couple who decide to summon Beetlejuice and haunt their own home to scare away the house's new, annoying inhabitants. Widely regarded as a comedy classic, Beetlejuice's iconic black-and-white striped suit is now instantly recognizable, and has now spawned an animated series, video games, and a stage musical.
9. Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017 Film)
South Korean film "Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds" is an intriguing blend of modern and traditional. The story centers around a series of seven celestial trials over the course of 49 days, where Cha Tae-hyun's firefighter character is tried to see if he's worthy of reincarnation. The firefighter is escorted in these trials by three guardians in suits, played by Ju Ji-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi, and a charismatic Ha Jung-woo.
If you couldn't tell from its premise, the film mixes modern-day sensibilities with Buddhist mythology. Keep your eyes peeled for some serious star power in the form of EXO's Do Kyung-soo, Ma Dong Seok from "Eternals," and even Lee Jung-jae from "Squid Game" as Yeomra, the Korean version of Yanluo Wang or the Buddhist Lord of Death and Justice.
10. Ghost (1990 Film)
"Ghost" is the classic 90's romantic fantasy thriller film about Patrick Swayze's Sam Wheat, a recently deceased banker, whose ghost is determined to warn his lover, Demi Moore's Molly Jensen, of her impending death. To do so, Wheat enlists the reluctant help of Whoopi Goldberg's Oda Mae Brown, a psychic. Perhaps best known for that pottery scene, "Ghost" holds the record as the highest-grossing film of 1990.
So, what do you think? Can you think of any other films or TV series that explore life after death in interesting ways? As we wait for "Dead Day" to be made, binge-watch our list, and tell us what you think!
For more entertainment news and commentary, check out Enstarz! We bring you the latest on your favorite celebrities, TV shows, and films.
