Writer: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo, Paul Vosloo, Jakub Korolczuk (Screenplay)
Starring: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long, Chandler Canterbury, Celia Weston, Luz Ramos, Josh Charles, Rosemary Murphy
Plot: After a horrific car accident, Anna (Ricci) wakes up to find the local funeral director Eliot Deacon (Neeson) preparing her body for her funeral. Confused, terrified and feeling still very much alive, Anna doesn’t believe she’s dead, despite the funeral director’s reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Eliot convinces her he has the ability to communicate with the dead and is the only one who can help her. Trapped inside the funeral home, with nobody to turn to except Eliot, Anna is forced to face her deepest fears and accept her own death. But Anna’s grief-stricken boyfriend Paul (Long) still can’t shake the nagging suspicion that Eliot isn’t what he appears to be. As the funeral nears Paul gets closer to unlocking the disturbing truth, but it could be too late; Anna may have already begun to cross over the other side.
Verdict: Creepy Thriller
Story: A good thriller keeps you guessing and changing you mind on what is really going on, this offers both, just when you think know what is going on it throws it all back at you to re-think. The bad side of that is that the film doesn’t give full attention to the idea of the funeral director being a serial killer or give us enough to believe that Anna is accepting her fate, we also only get teaser ideas of young Jack and who or what he really is about. We also fail to get a real understanding of what Anna’s early medical problems are before the accident. With many unresolved question you will feel left wondering about many things at the end, even though plenty question give the story great potential. (6/10)
Actor Reviews
Christina Ricci: Anna the young teacher who has the car accident leaving her in a funeral home, she questions whether she is really dead before accepting her fate, but did she give up to early? Good performance from Christina who plays the confusion as well as anyone. (7/10)
Liam Neeson: Eliot Deacon the funeral director who could be a serial killer or could have a gift, either way he is very particular and perfectionist who is very well-spoken. Good performance from Liam who brings great mystery to his role. (8/10)
Justin Long: Paul the boyfriend of Anna who is haunted by regret because of the argument leading to Anna’s accident, he tries to find out the truth and is left being the only one who thinks she might still be alive. Stepping away from comedy roles Justin has become a supporting role man in horror, but never really looks like he fits in them. (5/10)
Chandler Canterbury: Jack the young student of Anna’s who has a creepy side which never gets explained. Good performance from the kid but because we don’t learn enough about his motive takes away from the performance. (7/10)
Director Review: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo – Creates some great tension and leaves us asking plenty of question, but by not answering all of them the film fills somewhat incomplete. (5/10)
Horror: The battle between life and death is very strong throughout, and if you believe one ending it is a great creation of a new killer. (7/10)
Mystery: Simply put you just don’t know what to believe throughout. (10/10)
Thriller: Keeps you guessing all the way through. (9/10)
Settings: The creepy preparation room that Anna is kept in adds to the tension well. (9/10)
Special Effects: Good effects used during some of the dream sequences. (8/10)
Suggestion: I would suggest trying and if you do, tell me what you think happened once it is all set and done. (Give it A Go)
Best Part: Keeping you guessing.
Worst Part: Doesn’t seem to give you a real answer.
Scariest Scene: Dream sequences
Believability: Depends how you read the ending. (4/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: Very unlikely, due to poor box office.
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: No
Box Office: $2,002,618
Budget: $4.5 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes
Tagline: How do you save yourself when you’re already dead?
Overall: Great Thriller but what happened?
Rating