After Life

Middle school teacher Anna Taylor attends the funeral of her piano teacher, marking her initial contact with the funeral home's atmosphere. That night, she has an argument with her boyfriend Paul at a restaurant, which leads to her distress and subsequent traffic accident.

Anna awakens on an embalming table inside the funeral home, discovering Eliot Deacon, the funeral director, in the process of preparing her body. Eliot reveals to her that she has died and claims he has the ability to hear the dead, introducing her to a surreal and terrifying reality.

Eliot tells Anna that he possesses a unique gift to communicate with the deceased and shows her a collection of photographs of corpses he has helped transition. He injects her with a fictional drug, hydronium bromide, to relax her muscles and prevent rigor mortis from setting in.

Anna tries to escape multiple times but is unsuccessful due to Eliot’s control and the situation's unsettling nature. She begins to doubt whether she is truly alive or dead, especially after Eliot denies her access to Paul and prevents her from leaving.

Eliot allows Anna to see her reflection in a mirror, revealing her corpse-like appearance. She finally suspects that she might still be alive, intensifying her fear and confusion about her situation.

Anna's student Jack visits the funeral home, and Eliot claims that he and Jack share a special gift similar to Jesus’ power to raise Lazarus. Eliot offers to teach Jack more about this gift, which Jack accepts, hinting at darker scenarios as he buries a living chick.

As her funeral preparations continue, Anna asks to see herself one last time. Eliot uses a mirror to show her her reflection, and when she notices her breath condensing on the glass, she realizes she is not dead. Eliot responds by injecting her with another dose of the drug, rendering her unconscious.

During Anna’s funeral, Paul places the engagement ring on her finger, unaware that she is still alive. Afterward, Paul consumes alcohol, becomes aggressive, and Eliot taunts him, hinting that Anna's death is real and imminent.

In the cemetery, Anna is shown regaining consciousness inside her casket as earth is shoveled onto it. She cries and claws at the lining, desperately trying to escape her grave, believing she is truly dead.

Driving under the influence to find Anna, Paul reaches the cemetery and reunites with her. As they embrace, Paul questions whether Anna is really alive, but Eliot’s earlier warnings come true when he is later found in the funeral home, with Eliot preparing his body after claiming he was in a fatal car accident.