Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Here to eternity: Movies and TV shows that deal with the afterlife
MovieStillsDB

Here to eternity: Movies and TV shows that deal with the afterlife

What happens after we die? It’s a question that has been asked by people for, well, millennia. There are many movies and TV shows that have given us a peek at ideas of the afterlife. In fact, the new Pixar film “Soul” deals with the afterlife, and it’s not the first Pixar film to do that. We can’t speak to the veracity of any of these pieces of entertainment (though some of them definitely seem inaccurate) but these are some of the notable TV shows and films that deal with the afterlife.

 
1 of 20

“Defending Your Life” (1991)

“Defending Your Life” (1991)
Warner Bros.

Albert Brooks has made a few comedy movies that have been quite influential. “Defending Your Life” stands out as perhaps his best movie, or at least the one where he moved further into the big leagues. Maybe we just feel that way because Brooks costars with Meryl Streep, the iconic actress of her generation. In the film, when you go to the afterlife you have to, well, defend your life choices, and if you fail you will be reincarnated.

 
2 of 20

“Heaven Can Wait” (1978)

“Heaven Can Wait” (1978)
Paramount

“Heaven Can Wait” is technically a remake of “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” but Warren Beatty’s comedy is definitely the more famous, and well-received, of the two. In fact, Beatty’s film got nine Oscar nominations. In the movie, Beatty plays a football player who dies accidentally, so Heaven agrees to send Beatty’s soul back to Earth in a new body, which happens to belong to an old millionaire.

 
3 of 20

“Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” (1991)

“Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey” (1991)
Orion

In “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” the well-meaning, if a little dense, duo travels through time. How do you one-up that in the sequel? By sending Bill and Ted into the afterlife. The two go to both Hell and Heaven and also best the Grim Reaper in a game of Battleship.

 
4 of 20

“Beetlejuice” (1988)

“Beetlejuice” (1988)
Warner Bros.

This is a Tim Burton film, so obviously the afterlife is a little strange. You might, like the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) end up as ghosts in your old house. Then Catherine O’Hara shows up with Winona Ryder and things get chaotic. Whatever you do, don’t turn to bio-exorcist Betelgeuse, aka “Beetlejuice,” played famously by Michael Keaton one year before he played Batman.

 
5 of 20

“Coco” (2017)

“Coco” (2017)
Disney

Yes, “Soul” isn’t the first Pixar movie to deal with the afterlife. In fact, just a few years ago “Coco” did it as well. That film owes a debt to the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, and it also won Best Animated Picture (and Best Original Song) at the Oscars.

 
6 of 20

“Ghost” (1990)

“Ghost” (1990)
Paramount

Hey, if you get to have a sexy pottery experience with the love of your life, maybe death isn’t so bad? “Ghost” feels like a pretty solid supernatural romance movie, but somehow it was quite the Oscars darling. In fact, Whoopi Goldberg even won an Oscar for the film, even if what we remember is Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore sculpting pottery to “Unchained Melody.”

 
7 of 20

“The Sixth Sense” (1999)

“The Sixth Sense” (1999)
Disney

Death doesn’t seem great in “The Sixth Sense,” but things also seem pretty bad for young Cole. Haley Joel Osment gave a remarkable performance for a young child in the film that made M. Night Shyamalan a noted name. Cole sees dead people, as you surely know, and many of them are in pretty rough shape. There’s also quite the twist, but just in case we won’t spoil it.

 
8 of 20

“R.I.P.D.” (2013)

“R.I.P.D.” (2013)
Universal

The premise of “R.I.P.D.” isn’t terrible. Two dead men are members of the “Rest In Peace Department” where they are in charge of rounding up souls who refuse to move on to the afterlife. Hell, even the cast has Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds leading it! Unfortunately, the execution of “R.I.P.D.” was lacking, and the film turned out to be a bust.

 
9 of 20

“The Frighteners” (1996)

“The Frighteners” (1996)
Universal

This may be a forgotten movie for both director Peter Jackson and star Michael J. Fox. Fox plays a man who can interact with the dead, but he’s also seeing visions of a figure that seems to be the Grim Reaper, who is killing people in a way that reads as mysterious to the other living folks. We also get a glimpse of both Heaven and Hell in this film.

 
10 of 20

“This is the End” (2013)

“This is the End” (2013)
Sony

If “This is the End” has any charms, it’s in watching celebrities play skewed versions of themselves. Michael Cera and Emma Watson make particularly notable turns. This film is, well, about the end of the world. Specifically, the Apocalypse, in the biblical sense.

 
11 of 20

“What Dreams May Come” (1998)

“What Dreams May Come” (1998)
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

What would you do for love? Robin Williams takes things to the extreme in “What Dreams May Come.” Williams’ character dies and goes to Heaven, but when his wife dies and goes to Hell, he decides to trek into Hell himself to be with her. Talk about dedication.

 
12 of 20

“All Dogs Go to Heaven” (1989)

“All Dogs Go to Heaven” (1989)
United Artists

“All Dogs Go to Heaven” is one of those family movies that, as an adult, suddenly feel odds. This is, after all, a movie about dead dogs. Hey, at least they go to Heaven. In fact, all the dogs go to Heaven, and they did it again in the sequel movie as well.

 
13 of 20

“Cabin the Sky” (1943)

“Cabin the Sky” (1943)
MGM

“Cabin in the Sky” is about a man who dies and is brought back to life by an angel. He has six months to redeem himself to get into Heaven, otherwise, he will go to Hell. This musical, based on a popular Broadway play, stars Lena Horne and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson. It is also noted for its all-black cast, which was remarkable at the time (and would, unfortunately, be kind of remarkable even still).

 
14 of 20

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)

“It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
RKO

If you have watched TV around Christmas, you’ve surely seen “It’s a Wonderful Life.” You know the story. George Bailey wishes he had never been born. Because of this, his guardian angel Clarence comes to Earth to show him what life would be like if that were true. “Merry Christmas you old Building and Loan” and so on. Hey, we spend time in Heaven. That definitely counts as a movie about the afterlife.

 
15 of 20

“Reaper”

“Reaper”
The CW

Isn’t it a bummer when your parents make a deal with the Devil on your life? That’s what happened to Sam Oliver in “Reaper,” a CW show that lasted two seasons. Having been promised to the Devil (played by Ray Wise), Sam takes on the job of a “reaper,” which means he captures souls that have escaped from Hell.

 
16 of 20

“Dead Like Me”

“Dead Like Me”
MGM

The main character in “Dead Like Me” ends up with a job dealing with the afterlife as well. However, the difference is that she’s actually dead. She then becomes a grim reaper, if not the Grim Reaper, whose job is to harvest souls right before people die so that they can be taken to the afterlife.

 
17 of 20

“The Good Place”

“The Good Place”
NBC

Michael Schur wrote for shows like “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” which were straightforward. “The Good Place” is much more high concept. The show features characters who are in the afterlife and are told by the architect Michael that they are in “The Good Place.” There are plenty of twists along the way, and also some heady philosophy. “The Good Place” is funny and smart, and definitely recommended.

 
18 of 20

“Forever”

“Forever”
Amazon

In a way, just putting “Forever” on this list is kind of a spoiler. When Amazon Prime was promoting the Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph show they kept basically everything under wraps. We will tell you the show deals with the afterlife, but we won’t say anything more beyond that to keep things relatively spoiler-free. Not entirely spoiler-free, though. Hey, it’s been a couple of years.

 
19 of 20

“Upload”

“Upload”
Amazon

Apparently Amazon Prime likes comedies about the afterlife. “Upload” didn’t hide that fact, though. Greg Daniels, who also worked on “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” brought us this show about a world where people can, ahem, upload themselves into virtual afterlives. Even though everything is virtual, there are still some bugs to deal with.

 
20 of 20

“Highway to Heaven”

“Highway to Heaven”
NBC

We could have also gone with “Touched by an Angel” here, as both shows have similar premises. “Highway to Heaven” is about a probationary angel to takes trips to Earth to help people in need. It was a little cheesy, many shows involving angels are, but people didn’t mind. The Michael Landon-starring show ran for over 100 episodes.

Chris Morgan

Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss
NBA

Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.

Shohei Ohtani named in lawsuit regarding $240M real estate project
MLB

Shohei Ohtani named in lawsuit regarding $240M real estate project

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been named in a lawsuit that was filed in Hawaii on Friday. Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being sued by a real estate investor and a broker in Hawaii who have accused Ohtani and Balelo of sabotaging a $240M real estate deal for a development on the Big Island. According to court documents that were obtained by Jimmy Golen of The Associated Press, real estate developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto say Ohtani and Balelo deliberately had them removed from the project “for no reason other than their own financial self-interest.” The lawsuit claims Ohtani was brought into the deal for his promotional value and that he and his agent pushed the founders of the project out using “threats and baseless legal claims.” “Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose Defendants’ misconduct and to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.” Hayes and Matsumoto have also accused Ohtani and Balelo of trying to push them out of a similar neighboring development project. The $240M Big Island development is located along Hapuna Beach, which is rated one of the top beaches in the world. Matsumoto was supposed to be the listing agent for the properties, which average more than $17.3M each. A brochure for the project stated that Ohtani, who was called “Japan’s Babe Ruth” has committed to buying one of the 14 properties and acting as a “celebrity spokesperson” for the development. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700M contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season. The two-way star is having another monster year with a .284 average, 42 home runs, 78 RBI and a 1.013 OPS entering Tuesday. Ohtani has also returned to pitching this season and has a 2.37 ERA across 19 innings. Ohtani was also connected to a massive gambling scandal last year, though Major League Baseball determined that the 31-year-old was not guilty of any wrongdoing.

Najee Harris may have role reduced after fireworks accident
NFL

Najee Harris may have role reduced after fireworks accident

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris still has yet to return to action after a July 4 fireworks accident, and it sounds like he does not necessarily have a job guaranteed to him when he does. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman admitted Tuesday that the team is planning a steady rotation at running back whether or not Harris is available to play in Week 1. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, however, is the player who has part of the rotation locked down, not Harris. The Chargers likely intended to use Harris as a part-time back no matter what. However, he certainly cannot have helped himself with his eye injury. The issue was described as superficial after it happened and Harris was expected to be ready for the season, but he is still on the non-football injury list and has yet to participate in a full practice. Harris, 27, is entering his first season with the Chargers after signing with them in March. He can earn up to $9.25 million on his one-year deal, but that will require him to remain part of the rotation with Hampton.

Ex-NBA player Sebastian Telfair hoping for pardon from Donald Trump
NBA

Ex-NBA player Sebastian Telfair hoping for pardon from Donald Trump

Sebastian Telfair is preparing to serve six months in prison but is hoping for some help from President Donald Trump. Telfair was among the former NBA players who were charged in 2021 with defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan of approximately $358,000 in fake medical and dental claims. The former first-round pick was initially given a three-year suspended sentence that involved supervised release. But he violated the terms of his suspended sentence, which led to him being sentenced in June to six months in prison. Telfair was getting ready to report to prison and pleaded for the president to step in and pardon him. “Trump, go check in on my story and you’re definitely going to want to pardon me. You’ll hold me accountable and want me to continue to go do good. But I did too good to being sending anybody to jail,” Telfair argued in comments to a reporter from TMZ. Telfair contends that his recent issue is due to a paperwork problem. He feels the resulting sentence he’s received is “super unfair.” Whether President Trump is able to hear his case and pardon him remains to be seen, but Telfair is definitely trying. Telfair, 40, is from Brooklyn, N.Y., and developed a big following as a teenager due to his strong basketball play. He was the No. 13 overall pick in 2004 by Portland and began his career with them as a 19-year-old straight out of high school. Telfair played 10 seasons in the NBA and spent time with eight different teams. He averaged 7.4 points and 3.5 assists per game during his career.