Life After Death (2020) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kyle, Beth's brother who worked as a security officer, actively hunted zombies during the crisis. He helped Zach by revealing that Beth's parents (Geenie and Maury) were actually alive in a safehouse. Kyle handed Zach a handgun and urged him to end Beth's suffering before the two confronted her together at the cliff.

Foreshadowing: Kyle's earlier appearance as a security officer who escorted Zach off the property establishes his protective role over his family.

• kyle
• beth brother
• security officer
• zombie
• hunt
• handgun

Beth's parents, Geenie and Maury, concealed Beth's reincarnation to protect her from the devastating truth that she had died. They also feared how the town would react to a zombie-like being walking among them. Their hope was that by keeping Beth hidden and preventing her from learning about her death, they could maintain some form of normalcy and protect both Beth and the community.

Foreshadowing: The sudden cutoff of contact with Zach foreshadows the family's desperate attempt to keep Beth's condition secret.

• beth's parents
• reincarnation
• hide truth
• protection
• slocum family

Beth's skin blistered in sunlight because her reincarnated state made her supernaturally sensitive to daylight. This abnormal reaction signaled that she was no longer truly alive, a zombie-like condition that manifested through her vulnerability to sunlight.

Foreshadowing: The earlier revelation that Beth was reincarnated hints at her unnatural state and explains the sunlight reaction.

• beth
• zombie
• sunlight
• blister
• reincarnation condition

Zach kept returning to Beth because he was deeply in love with her and couldn't accept her loss. Even after discovering her supernatural condition, the bond they shared compelled him to stay. His emotional connection to Beth override his sense of self-preservation, making him drawn to her despite the escalating danger.

Foreshadowing: Zach's initial devastation at Beth's death establishes his intense emotional attachment that drives his dangerous behavior.

• zach
• beth
• love
• return
• danger
• emotional attachment

Zach accidentally ran Beth over during a tense confrontation outside a diner. The incident occurred in the heat of escalating conflict between them, with Beth accusing Zach of infidelity and their relationship reaching a breaking point. It was not intentional, but it marked a turning point in Beth's volatility.

Foreshadowing: Earlier mentions of Beth's growing mood swings and violent behavior set up this dangerous confrontation.

• zach
• beth
• car accident
• diner
• confrontation

Zach took Beth to her grave to tell her the truth about her death and attempt to end their relationship. He wanted to break free from the painful situation by confronting Beth with the reality that she had died from a snake bite. However, Beth reacted with anger and drove away, refusing to accept this truth.

Foreshadowing: The revelation that Beth was reincarnated but never told she died creates the foundation for this painful confrontation.

• zach
• beth
• grave
• truth
• breakup
• death

Maury urged Zach to stay with Beth because he believed Zach's presence helped stabilize her emotionally. When Beth was with Zach, her zombie-like behavior seemed to calm down. Maury hoped that if Zach promised to stay forever and convinced Beth she hadn't died, it would prevent her from becoming fully violent.

Foreshadowing: Maury's earlier resistance to acknowledging Beth's death shows his desperation to maintain the illusion and control her condition.

• maury
• zach
• beth
• stability
• stay together

Zach shot Beth because she had become a fully bloodthirsty zombie who had already killed Maury and injured Geenie. Kyle, Beth's brother, urged Zach to end her suffering to prevent further carnage. In a bittersweet moment, Zach apologized for not fulfilling Beth's desires while she was alive, shot her in the head, and ended her thrall, saving the memory of their love from a brutal, irreversible fate.

Foreshadowing: Beth's escalating violence throughout the story, from mood swings to killing Maury, builds toward this tragic necessity.

• zach
• beth
• cliff
• shoot
• kill
• mercy
• sacrifice

Erica was forced to kill her own grandmother because the grandmother had transformed into a zombie under the same supernatural circumstances that affected Beth. Erica experienced profound trauma from this act, which is why she was described as traumatized when she reunited with Zach at the safehouse.

Foreshadowing: Earlier mentions of other townspeople acting similarly to Beth indicate the zombie transformation was affecting multiple people.

• erica
• grandmother
• zombie
• kill
• trauma

The power returning and the TV broadcast claiming things had returned to normal appears to be a false sense of security. The survivors, including Zach and his family, remained skeptical and discussed leaving town anyway. This ambiguous ending suggests either government intervention or a temporary calm, but the survivors chose not to trust it.

Foreshadowing: The widespread zombie outbreak affecting multiple people like Beth and Erica's grandmother foreshadows a larger crisis beyond individual cases.

• power
• tv
• broadcast
• normal
• ending
• uncertainty

Zach invited Erica to dinner as a hopeful gesture toward rebuilding his life after the traumatic ordeal. Both Zach and Erica had suffered profound losses, Zach lost Beth, and Erica killed her own grandmother. The dinner invitation represents a tentative step forward, suggesting they might find comfort in each other as they try to move on together.

Foreshadowing: Erica's earlier support of Zach during the crisis, including helping him understand the strange events, established an emotional connection between them.

• zach
• erica
• dinner
• future
• hopeful
• new beginning