Up There (2012) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The afterlife in the film is depicted through several interconnected locations. It begins at a sterile 're-start centre' where newly dead souls attend counselling and are assigned roles. The story then expands to a quirky seaside town and a bustling city, with everyday settings like libraries and all-night garages serving as meeting points between the living and the dead.

• afterlife locations
• re-start centre
• seaside town
• settings

The re-start centre is the initial location where newly deceased individuals are processed in the afterlife. It functions as a bureaucratic facility where the dead attend group counselling and are nudged toward positive thinking. The centre represents the regulated, institutional nature of this afterlife, promising advancement to 'up there' in exchange for compliance and earning credits.

• re-start centre
• afterlife bureaucracy
• soul processing

Martin is a newly-dead employee who serves as the film's narrator and main protagonist. He explains that the afterlife isn't about ghosts but a system of cues and checks. Martin schemes to earn credits for promotion to 'up there' and often fakes positivity to fit the centre's expectations. His journey involves partnering with Rash and confronting his complicated feelings about life and death.

• Martin
• main character
• protagonist
• dead narrator

Rash is Martin's co-worker in the afterlife, a lively and talkative character who enjoys the afterlife much more than Martin does. He irritates Martin with his optimism but drives the investigation forward as they search for a runaway soul. Rash's carefree attitude hides deeper connections to the events unfolding, particularly his relationship to other characters.

• Rash
• co-worker
• optimistic character
• investigation

Martin and Rash form a volatile but vital partnership throughout the film. Their dynamic begins with friction, as Martin's cynicism clashes with Rash's endless optimism, but gradually shifts toward cooperation. Together they pursue a runaway soul, navigate the seaside town, and ultimately help each other confront personal challenges, illustrating how companionship persists beyond life.

• Martin and Rash
• partnership
• friendship
• dynamic

Liz is a living woman whom Martin can momentarily read alongside, representing a fragile bridge between the living and the dead. She had connections to one of the deceased and hints at a complex past involving suicide and guilt. Her presence challenges the boundaries between life and death, and she ultimately chooses to leave with an ex-partner whom she killed.

• Liz
• living character
• bridge between worlds
• life and death

The afterlife operates under a regulated system where the dead are assessed, assigned roles, and expected to conform to institutional boundaries. Characters can earn credits for promotion to 'up there' by following the system's expectations. This bureaucratic structure creates both comedy and tension as personal desires conflict with the rules, forming a central theme of the movie.

• afterlife rules
• bureaucracy
• system
• credits
• promotion

The movie explores letting go of the living and the past as a core theme. Martin learns that advancement in the afterlife may not align with personal desires, requiring acceptance. Rash's actions lead to outcomes that demand forgiveness and reconciliation. The film emphasizes that closure sometimes comes at a distance, and true release involves accepting what cannot be changed.

• letting go
• closure
• acceptance
• forgiveness
• moving on

Friendship in Death is a central theme showing how relationships persist beyond life. Martin and Rash's partnership evolves from friction to genuine cooperation as they work together to solve the mystery of a runaway soul. Their bond illustrates that companionship remains meaningful after death and significantly influences the choices characters make.

• friendship
• death
• partnership
• companionship
• loyalty

The seaside town serves as a key location in the afterlife, depicted as a quirky setting filled with rebellious teens, mysterious elderly women, and troubled souls like Liz. It represents a transitional space where the dead interact with the living, blending everyday environments with supernatural encounters. The town becomes the backdrop for the investigation and emotional revelations.

• seaside town
• rebellious teens
• mysterious women
• location

The film presents the afterlife bureaucracy as both absurd and consequential. The re-start centre functions as a gatekeeping institution that shapes how characters cope with death. The comedic aspects arise from the clash between personal desires and institutional rules, while the tension comes from characters trying to navigate or escape this system for their own advancement.

• bureaucracy
• afterlife system
• institutional critique
• rules