Here After is an infuriating horror feature filled with clichés that never quite come together in any satisfying fashion due to its rapid pace; which is certainly not assisted by its choppy editing. A psychological, supernatural thriller in most regards this film stumbles from the starting line to gain momentum. The film even utilizes flashbacks frequently in an attempt to flesh out the redundancy of its thin plot to no avail.

 

As a mother of a daughter that has just possibly drowned off screen only to inexplicably come back to life, the worry that Connie Britton’s Claire conveys feels less than genuine. Her performance never shines as bright as the film desperately needs it to as a mother afraid of her daughter possibly being possessed. Every character in this film needs further characterization, some more than others but when absolutely none of the side characters strike a chord of having a purpose within the grand scheme of things - it’s really leaving a lot of redundant and uninteresting characters running around. 

 

The film is properly bleak, gray and dreary the entire way through and that’s clearly to showcase how depressing the story is meant to be. The setting makes an otherwise beautiful city, dull and without personality. 

 

It’s a film that’s primary language is Italian and the performances come off more genuine in this language than when they speak English. It’s peculiar why there's a hybrid of the two in the first place. 

 

The final product is so uncertain of what it wants to be that it’s a confounding mess of ideas that never measure up to anything of worth. Is it a film about possession? Is it a film about loss? Is it a headache waiting to be had? Here After attempts to take a big swing towards the end of the film but there isn’t enough emotional weight behind any of the characters for it to ever make contact.