Up There (2019) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Martin hopes that working as a caretaker will earn him enough credit to be promoted to a nicer area called 'up there'. He carries guilt about how he died - in a car accident - and believes that proving himself through good deeds will help him achieve a better afterlife status. His motivation stems from wanting to escape the grey, bureaucratic existence of the re-start centre.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish that the afterlife has a hierarchy, with 'up there' presented as the desirable destination.

• martin
• afterlife hierarchy
• promotion
• re-start centre

Chick explains that he witnessed Rash being chased by two young men, and in the chaos, he was hit by Chick's Fiat Punto. The death was accidental - Chick didn't mean to kill him, but his car struck Rash during the pursuit. This explains why Rash initially avoids Chick and why Martin accuses Chick of murder.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes show two young men copying and ogling Rash, hinting at the harassment that led to the chase.

• chick
• rash
• car accident
• fiat punto
• death cause

Liz hides because the dead man is her ex-boyfriend, who she killed before he could kill himself after their relationship ended badly. She explains he 'can't take a hint,' indicating he pursued her even in death. This reveals Liz's troubled past and why she remains in the afterlife rather than moving on.

Foreshadowing: Liz mentions she used to know him, establishing their prior connection.

• liz
• ex-boyfriend
• suicide
• library scene

Liz's coworker reveals that Liz's death was a suicide. She subsequently chose to leave with her ex-boyfriend - the man she killed - at the end of the film. This creates a tragic cycle where she caused his death and then remained tied to him in the afterlife, unable to fully separate from their toxic relationship.

Foreshadowing: The library scene establishes Liz's complicated history with the dead man who keeps finding her.

• liz
• suicide
• ex-boyfriend
• death

Rash becomes a 'starer' - someone who stares into space and does nothing - after losing his will to progress in the afterlife. Being stuck in this state appears to be a form of giving up, which Martin and Chick discover when they find him at a strip club. His transformation reflects his emotional state after his death and the events with Chick.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Rash's father as a starer, establishing that this fate can happen to anyone who stops trying.

• rash
• starer
• strip club
• giving up

Martin reveals that he was angry because his wife didn't join him in death - she continued living instead of choosing to be with him. This represents Martin's struggle to let go of his earthly attachments. By the end, he accepts that she let him go, which allows him to finally let her go too, representing his emotional progression toward peace.

Foreshadowing: Martin's initial bitterness about his situation hints at unresolved feelings about his wife.

• martin
• wife
• grief
• letting go

When Rash asks Chick to honestly say what killed him, Chick admits it was a bigger, sturdier car - essentially absolving Chick of direct responsibility for Rash's death. This exchange represents forgiveness and closure between them. Rash accepts this answer, indicating he's made peace with how he died and releases Chick from guilt.

Foreshadowing: Chick's earlier explanation about the Fiat Punto sets up this moment of clarification.

• bigger car
• chick
• rash
• forgiveness
• closure

Martin works hard as a caretaker but only his colleague gets promoted to move up to the nicer area. This reflects the arbitrary, bureaucratic nature of the afterlife system in the film. Martin's lack of promotion drives his continued involvement in the Chick case, as he hopes to earn enough credit to finally advance.

Foreshadowing: Early scenes establish the promotion system as the primary goal for dead souls.

• martin
• promotion
• colleague
• re-start centre

Martin discovers he can read newspapers or books aloud alongside a living person if they turn the pages together. This unusual ability allows him to interact with the living world in a limited way. He demonstrates this ability with Liz in the library, where they read together while she turns the pages.

Foreshadowing: This ability appears suddenly, with no prior hint, making it a unique mechanic of this afterlife.

• martin
• reading
• living people
• library
• ability

Liz suggests there might be a boat as an alternative route out of town beyond the last bus at 11pm. This represents another possible way for dead souls to escape their assigned area. Later, Liz rows away with the dead man who was stalking her, showing she's chosen her own path out.

Foreshadowing: The escape route discussion highlights the limited mobility dead souls have within the system.

• boat
• escape
• liz
• bus
• route