AFTER.LIFE
RYAN: The new movie After.Life stars one of my favorite actresses, Christina Ricci, along with Liam Neeson and Justin Long, so I was very excited to see it. Plus I love this genre. It’s a scary psychological thriller.
CAROLINE: I didn’t get to see this with you, and though the premise is intriguing, I can also see its potential for cheesiness. Doesn’t she play a girl who dies but then doesn’t believe she’s dead?
RYAN: Well, that’s what you’re meant to think based on the trailer. I don’t want to give away too much but it’s basically a cross between Misery and The Sixth Sense. It’s pretty creepy, but more because of the music and editing more than anything else. Honestly though, I had to force myself to keep my eyes open at times; that’s how scared I was.
CAROLINE: Honey, you needed me there to hold your hand!
RYAN: Trust me, you would have been freaking out too. Christina Ricci is great. She’s pretty much naked for about a third of the movie and her body couldn’t look better. She’s in incredible shape, and she has been for a while.
CAROLINE: Too bad her movie career isn’t.
RYAN: Ouch. I know.
CAROLINE: How’s Liam Neeson?
RYAN: I’m telling you, he’s the new Hannibal Lecter. He plays the funeral director and he is terrifying. I’ve never really thought of him as the bad guy before since he’s usually playing Zeus or the protective dad type, but he seriously scared me half to death in this movie.
CAROLINE: I can see that. He has that commanding voice and he’s very tall. So where does Justin Long fit into all of this?
RYAN: He plays Christina’s boyfriend and he’s actually really good. The two of them have great chemistry, and I really liked their scenes together. I just wished Christina’s character had lived a little bit longer.
CAROLINE: So how much did you actually like this movie? ‘Cuz I know Misery is one of your favorites.
RYAN: My friend Jennifer said she thought this would have worked better as a 30-minute Twilight Zone episode, and I kind of agree. It felt too long, and the longer it goes on, the less believable it is. And then you walk out not even knowing exactly what went on; it’s sort of up to you to decide. I think I know what happened, but I could see the other side too.
CAROLINE: At least it’s thought provoking.
RYAN: For sure. I just wanted a definitive answer at the end, but you don’t really get one. That’s very American of me, isn’t it? Of course, it’s from a foreign director, so the ending isn’t wrapped up neatly in a bow as I wanted it to be.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It was a little bit too far fetched. It’s very moody and creepy and the colors are great. I was definitely scared, which is always the goal for a movie like this. I’ll see Christina Ricci in anything, but I think she did the whole captive thing better in Black Snake Moan.
— RATING —
