After-life messaging in the movies and on tv
It’s fair to say that after-life messaging (also referred to as post-life or posthumous messaging) isn’t a topic you hear very often (not yet, anyway!), but the concept of a person arranging to send messages to loved ones after they’ve died is not new and in fact has appeared in a number of films and tv shows. Here are some of my favourites.
PS. I Love You
"PS. I Love You" is a romantic drama released in 2007 and starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler.
The movie centers around Holly Kennedy (Swank), a young widow who loses her husband Gerry (Butler) to an illness. After his death, Holly is lost and struggles to move on with her life. But soon she begins receiving letters and other messages from Gerry, who had arranged for these to be delivered to her after his death. Each item is intended to guide Holly through her grief and help her heal, while also encouraging her to start living again.
Through the letters, Gerry encourages Holly to do things she's always wanted to do, such as taking a trip to Ireland, learning to play the guitar, and even finding a new love. As she follows the letters' instructions, Holly starts to discover new parts of herself and begins to heal from her loss. Along the way, she also meets a new man, Daniel, who helps her through her journey of healing.
The movie is an emotional and heartwarming story that explores the themes of love, loss and healing. it is a powerful and uplifting reminder that even in death, love endures and can be the guide to help us move on. As the story unfolds the audience watches Holly's personal development and how she slowly starts to heal and learn to love again.
My Life
My Life is a 1993 drama starring Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman. The film follows the story of Bob Jones (Keaton), a successful advertising executive who is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
In the movie, Bob begins to film videos for his son, Josh, as a way to leave a lasting legacy for him after he is gone. These videos include Bob's reflections on his life, advice for his son, and stories about his family. He also uses the videos as a way to make amends with his wife, Gail (Kidman), and to try to reconnect with her. Through the videos, Bob shares his thoughts on love, family, and the importance of cherishing the time we have.
As he faces his own mortality, Bob comes to realize the importance of living in the present and not taking life for granted. The film explores the themes of life, death and the importance of family, and the videos are a powerful tool to convey Bob's feelings and thoughts.
AfterLife
AfterLife is a Netflix series created by, written by and starring Ricky Gervais. The show follows Tony Johnson (Gervais), a man who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his wife, Lisa (Kerry Godliman), who died of cancer.
Tony is a bitter and cynical man who is convinced there is no afterlife, but he starts to see signs that Lisa is still with him. As he attempts to move on, Tony discovers a series of recordings that Lisa made for him before she died. In these recordings, Lisa provides guidance and wisdom for Tony as he goes through the grieving process. The recordings also serve as a way for Lisa to express her love for Tony and to remind him of the good times they shared together.
The show explores themes of love, loss, grief and the afterlife, and it is a mix of comedy and drama.
You can check out AfterLife on Netflix.
Black Mirror - ‘Be Right Back’ episode
“Be Right Back" is an episode of the Netflix series "Black Mirror". The show explores the themes of grief and loss, as well as the role technology can play in our lives.
The episode tells the story of a young couple, Ash and Martha, who move to a remote house in the countryside. Shortly after arriving there, Ash is killed in a car accident.
At the funeral, Sara, a friend, tells Martha about a new service that allows people to communicate online with AI versions of their deceased loved ones. By using all of his past online communications and social media profiles, a new "Ash" can be created virtually.
Martha rejects the idea, but Sara signs Martha up to the service anyway, without telling her. When Martha gets an e-mail supposedly from "Ash", she furiously confronts Sara, who urges her to at least give the service a try before dismissing it.
Initially, Martha only uses the service to talk to an AI version of Ash through instant messaging and social media. But she becomes increasing drawn into the experience, eventually taking the service to the next level by ordering a robot replica of Ash.
The robot arrives, and Martha is initially thrilled to have a physical embodiment of her husband, but soon realizes that it is not the same as the real person. She also sees that by trying to replace the memory of Ash, she is not allowing himself to grieve and move on.
"Be Right Back" ultimately raises important ethical questions about how technology may affect our relationship with grief and loss, and how we use technology to cope with difficult emotions and move on in life.
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So that’s my list and it’s fair to say each of these shows/movies has in some way been a source of inspiration for the Afterwords.life app. Our goal was to take what I think is a beautiful concept - sharing our love and presence with those we care most about, even beyond death - and using the tools of our modern, digital age to make a posthumous messaging service that is easy to use, secure and discrete. If you’re curious about our service please have a look at our 60 day free offer.
Do you know of other movies or tv shows that touch on the topic of how people finding ways to stay in communication with loved ones after death? Let me know if the comments below.