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After Life

Name: After Life
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Released: 1999-04-17
Cast: Arata Iura, Erika Oda, Susumu Terajima, Takashi Naito, Kei Tani

1999 | 118 min | Fantasy, Drama

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (89% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for fantasy fans. If you loved The Tree of Life, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood: Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace: Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 58 min.
What might put you off: It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

On a cold Monday morning, a group of counselors clock in at an old-fashioned social services office. Their task is to interview the recently deceased, record their personal details, then, over the course of the week, assist them in choosing a single memory to keep for eternity.

How it earned its rating

CriticsVery strong
89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 91 on Metacritic
AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Box office & staying powerBelow par
$802K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 64K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

Arata IuraTakashi Mochizuki
Erika OdaShiori Satonaka
Susumu TerajimaSatoru Kawashima
Takashi NaitoTakuro Sugie
Kei TaniKennosuke Nakamura
Kyōko KagawaKyoko Watanabe
Tōru YuriGisuke Shoda
Yusuke IseyaYusuke Iseya
Sayaka YoshinoKana Yoshino
Kazuko ShirakawaNobuko Amano