OPINION:
The fascination with what happens after we die is a tale as old as time. The new feature film from Angel Studios “After Death” explores what happens after we die. Through interviews of individuals who had near-death experiences and scientists who’ve studied the phenomenon, here’s what you need to know before you go to the movies this weekend.
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After Death – In Theaters
We’re drawn to mystery. We want to know what the truth is — especially about the journey from life to death that we must all ultimately take.
For many of those who tell their stories here, that journey has been one of paradox. On the brink of death, it was a path of terror—until they experienced the embrace of (the film says) a God of light and love and forgiveness and acceptance. And even the ones who seemed destined for something like hell called out to a God or Jesus, who delivered them from that fate.
In all of that, the film frames near-death experiences in a broadly Christian way. We hear about heaven and hell, reunions with loved ones and depictions of an experience so utterly transcendent that words fail. “Nothing compares to heaven,” Don Piper says. “It’s just—that’s the most real thing. That’s my reality. This is not.”
In a message during the credits, director Stephen Gray tells viewers, “I hope [“After Death”] causes people to stop and think. [I hope] it’ll actually cause people to pause and consider eternity.”
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I think this intriguing, well-made and at times unnerving documentary has the potential to do just that. But it still comes with some important caveats.
First, despite the film’s general alignment, broadly speaking, with a Christian understanding, it doesn’t suggest that “going to heaven” is absolutely linked to having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Several people here do have that relationship. But the film doesn’t specifically talk about how Jesus saves us from sin or the need to have a relationship with him as a prerequisite to eternal salvation. Instead, the movie seems to strike a much more universalistic stance, with several people saying that people across different cultures and religions have all had similar experiences of God’s heavenly love and light.
Second, when it comes to evaluating the phenomenon of near-death experiences from a biblical point of view, Scripture offers little explicit guidance. Apart from Paul’s mysterious reference to being caught up to “the third heaven” in 1 Corinthians 12:2, there’s no clear passage of Scripture to help us discern the authenticity or veracity of such experiences. The stories here potentially have the capacity to encourage us with regard to what lies beyond, but these experiences remain almost a textbook example of something experiential and extrabiblical that’s outside the guidance and framework for spiritual truth that the Bible provides.
Finally, “After Death” does offer two glimpses at a hellish afterlife experience that feel very much like something out of a grim horror movie, even if only momentarily. Despite the movie’s potentially redemptive themes, it’s not one I’d recommend for families with young or sensitive viewers.
All in all, “After Death” delivers a provocative and potentially encouraging look at the subject of near-death experiences. But the theological caveats and content concerns noted in this review mean it may not be an experience to be shared by every family.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by: Adam R. Holz.
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