Up There (2012) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Martin cannot move on because of unresolved ties to the living world. His wife killed herself after his death, and he struggles to accept this betrayal and let her go. The afterlife system requires emotional release before progression, and Martin's inability to forgive prevents his promotion to a higher realm.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes show Martin feigning optimism in group counseling while hiding his true resentment about his wife's suicide.

• martin
• wife
• suicide
• stuck
• afterlife
• moving on

The recently dead enter a liminal space called the re-start centre, where they attend therapy-like sessions encouraging positive thinking. Dead people work as 'carers' guiding newly arrived souls. Promotions to 'higher' realms come through earning credits, but the process is bureaucratic and slow. Some dead become 'starers', those who simply stare and do nothing.

Foreshadowing: The opening establishes that the dead cannot interact with physical objects and must go through processing to progress.

• afterlife
• re-start centre
• starer
• system
• promotions

Rash was killed in a traffic accident. Chick reveals that he was being chased by a group of lads when he ran into the road, and a Fiat Punto struck Rash. The death was accidental, Chick didn't intentionally kill him but feels responsible because his actions led to the fatal collision.

Foreshadowing: Chick mentions seeing Rash chased by unnamed lads before the accident occurs.

• rash
• chick
• death
• fiat punto
• accident
• killed

Liz died by suicide, which is why she's present in this afterlife realm. She has a complicated history with another dead man who stalks her throughout the story. Liz ultimately leaves with her ex-partner, whom she reveals she killed, a reference to her suicidal act that also resulted in his death.

Foreshadowing: Liz hides when another dead man appears in the library, and her co-worker hints she was a suicide.

• liz
• suicide
• afterlife
• ex-partner
• death

Chick was being chased by a group of lads and ran into the road without looking, causing the driver of a Fiat Punto to swerve and hit Rash. While Chick didn't directly kill him, his reckless running triggered the chain of events that led to Rash's death. Chick's guilt stems from his involvement in an accidental death he caused.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Chick initially running away from the carers, establishing his pattern of fleeing.

• chick
• rash
• guilt
• accident
• responsibility

A 'starer' is a dead person who does nothing but stare into space, representing complete withdrawal from the afterlife process. Chick's father is one, and Rash eventually becomes one after losing his purpose. Starers exist in a state of stagnation, neither progressing nor engaging with the system.

Foreshadowing: Chick mentions his father is a starer who simply stares, establishing this concept early in their pursuit.

• starer
• stagnation
• dead
• withdrawal

Martin discovers that his wife didn't kill herself out of grief or because she couldn't live without him. Instead, she 'let him go', meaning she chose to end her life for her own reasons, possibly to escape something Martin never understood. This betrayal is why Martin struggles to let go and move on in the afterlife.

Foreshadowing: Martin initially believed his wife killed herself over his death, but the revelation comes later that her choice was more complex.

• martin
• wife
• suicide
• grief
• betrayal

Liz decides to leave with her ex-partner despite having killed him, suggesting their relationship was deeply troubled but not severed by death. Her choice implies unresolved emotional ties to him, even though she previously tried to avoid him in the afterlife. This departure marks her final break from Martin and the group.

Foreshadowing: Liz hides from the dead man following her, but later chooses to leave with him, showing complicated feelings beyond mere avoidance.

• liz
• ex
• relationship
• leaving
• death

Liz suggests there might be another way out of the seaside town beyond the last bus at 11pm, she mentions a boat as an alternative route. Later, she rows with the dead man who has been following her, using the boat as a means to leave town. This escape route represents hope beyond the established afterlife system.

Foreshadowing: Liz hints at boat possibilities before the actual rowing scene occurs.

• boat
• escape
• liz
• seaside town
• route

Martin develops a connection with Liz during their time in the seaside town and wants her to accompany him back to the re-start centre. However, Liz refuses, choosing instead to leave with her ex. This rejection highlights Martin's loneliness and his struggle to form meaningful connections in the afterlife.

Foreshadowing: Their moments in the library and during the boat scene build a brief connection between them.

• martin
• liz
• invitation
• centre
• relationship

Processing is the bureaucratic procedure where dead souls are officially handled and their afterlife path is determined. Martin brings Chick in for processing, and it involves paperwork and assessment. The process determines whether a dead person can move on or must continue in the system.

Foreshadowing: The timeline references processing as a standard step in the afterlife workflow.

• processing
• paperwork
• assessment
• afterlife system

After his encounter with Chick and the emotional confrontation about his death, Rash withdraws into becoming a starer, staring blankly and disengaging from everything. This represents his loss of purpose and inability to process what happened. However, he eventually wakes enough to speak with Chick and accept the truth about how he died.

Foreshadowing: Rash's transformation into a starer happens after the emotional climax with Chick in the city.

• rash
• starer
• withdrawal
• acceptance
• ending