10 Best Movies About The Afterlife

Suicide is obviously a heavy subject, but Wristcutters: A Love Story is a comedy that balances hope and humor by showing us an afterlife specifically reserved for those who commit suicide. The film follows Zia, who slashes his wrists after his girlfriend breaks up with him, finding himself in a mundane and strange afterlife where he gets a job at a pizza restaurant.

Wristcutters: A Love Story is directed by Goran Dukic, who also co-wrote the film with Etgar Keret. The film stars Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, Tom Waits, Will Arnett, and Leslie Bibb. Movies about death aren’t always funny, but Wristcutters: A Love Story definitely fits in that category.

Sticking with the theme that movies about death can be funny, we have the 1978 film Heaven Can Wait next on the list. Heaven Can Wait follows a backup quarterback (Warren Beatty) for the Los Angeles Rams who is killed in an accident right before he can finally take his starting spot. However, in the afterlife, he finds out that his guardian angel actually took over his body before his time was up.

Heaven Can Wait is the ideal film for those who like screwball comedies, and it even manages to fit in a charming romance in there. Warren Beatty also pulls triple duty on this film, as he co-directed and co-wrote the film as well. His co-star, Buck Henry, was the other director.

Now that we’ve had some romantic afterlife movies that can give you the warm and fuzzies (or at least get your endorphins up with some laughs), it’s time to jump into the horror side of things. The Others fits that bill perfectly, as this 2001 film is sure to give you goosebumps. The Others stars Nicole Kidman as Grace, a mother who moves her daughters Anne and Nicholas to the English coast during World War II.

Of course, things aren’t so simple, and Anne starts seeing ghosts while Grace becomes distrustful of the servants in the house. This supernatural-tinged horror will give you the creeps up until the very end, and Kidman turns in an incredible performance. Alejandro Amenábar directed and wrote the script.

After Ghost, you’ll never look at pottery-making the same way again. Many remember Ghost for the oft-parodied and oft-memed sexy pottery scene, but it’s easy to forget that scene is wrapped in a highly entertaining and well-made film. One that easily ranks amongst Patrick Swayze’s best.

Ghost follows Patrick Swayze’s Sam Wheat, who becomes a powerless spirit after he is killed by his corrupt business partner Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn). Sam must then enlist the help of a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to communicate with his lover Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) and warn her of Carl’s intentions. If you like your afterlife movies centered around romance, this is the one to watch.

“I see dead people,” is the quote on the tin for the 1999 classic The Sixth Sense. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the momentous twist that occurs during this movie, make sure to keep avoiding those spoilers and check it out as soon as possible. Needless to say, it’s one of the best afterlife movie twists of all time.

The Sixth Sense follows a young boy named Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) who is visited by ghosts. However, he only feels comfortable revealing this secret to his child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). M. Night Shyamalan’s penchant for twists is a meme at this point, but he definitely earns that reputation here.

If you’re Peter Jackson, how do you follow up directing the greatest fantasy trilogy of all time with Lord of the Rings and the major blockbuster King Kong? You direct a thoughtful fantasy drama about vengeance and healing, obviously. The Lovely Bones is an interesting entry to Jackson’s filmography, and definitely different from what he was doing at the time.

The Lovely Bones follows a young girl who is murdered and then observes both her family and her killer from the afterlife. She must balance her desire for revenge and her desire to see her family heal. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, and Rachel Weisz, but Saoirse Ronan’s breakout role in the lead is what anchors the entire film.

That was a long run of more serious or dramatic entries, so let’s swing it back to comedy to lighten things up. Defending Your Life balances humor and heart in a film about an afterlife where you must first be examined in court before you can move on. Albert Brooks directs, writes, and stars in the film as Daniel Miller.

During his stint in the afterlife court, Daniel falls in love with Julia (Meryl Streep), whose seemingly perfect life makes it seem likely she’ll definitely get the go-ahead to the next level. Daniel’s situation is a little murkier. Overall, Defending Your Life is an interesting and funny film, one that Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks handily carry on their shoulders.

A Matter of Life and Death, which is sometimes titled Stairway to Heaven, also explores the idea of having to stand trial before the afterlife. Except in this film, the protagonist is arguing his case to go back to Earth, rather than moving to the big paradise in the sky. It’s also a film from 1946, so make sure to check it out somewhere like the Criterion Collection to see it in fully restored glory.

Stairway to Heaven (A Matter of Life and Death) follows a British aviator during the war who falls in love with an American radio operator shortly after surviving a miraculous jump from his plane. However, a messenger appears to let him know a clerical error prevented his death. To return to his newly found love, he must argue his case to stay on Earth.

It turns out that a lot of movies about the afterlife are fun and funny, as evidenced by our #2 on this list — Beetlejuice. After a couple finds themselves having to haunt their own home after dying, they hire a malicious spirit to help them drive out the insufferable family that has moved in. However, they get more than they bargained for when the dangerous Beetlejuice shows up.

Beetlejuice is a Tim Burton classic and has a fantastic cast to boot. Michael Keaton gives a great performance in the titular role with a strong supporting cast of Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, and Winona Ryder. Now is a great time to check it out, especially since Beetlejuice 2 was finally officially confirmed to be in development.

What better way to end this list than with an underrated heart warmer from the late, great Robin Williams? What Dreams May Come follows Chris Nielsen (Williams) who dies in a car accident and ends up in heaven. However, after his wife kills herself out of grief he embarks on a quest to reunite with her in the afterlife.

What Dreams May Come is anchored by the great performances from Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr, and Annabella Sciorra. Along with the performances, the film is characterized by dreamy and surreal visuals. Overall, it’s a great fantasy drama, and you can’t really go wrong with anything with Robin Williams.