“Here After” Intrigues a Bit Too Late

Here After (Robert Salerno, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars

A scenario that seems to be on the rise lately in the horror world is that of the “back from the dead” person. In this situation, someone important to the main character (usually their child) dies, but only for a short bit of time, and is then revived. However, the saved person comes back changed by some unseen force. The tagline for this specific plot usually reads something like “but what did they bring back with them when they returned to our world?”

The latest edition of this soon-to-become-tired storyline is director Robert Salerno’s Here After. Salerno—making his feature-directorial debut‚ delivers a very plain film for much of the runtime, filled with clichés from this genre. He nevertheless goes an unexpected direction in the third act that intrigues greatly, but sadly a tad too late.

Here After features Connie Britton (Breaking) as Claire, a divorced American mother. She lives abroad in Italy with her daughter Robin (Freya Hannan-Mills), having moved there to care for her now ex-husband’s elderly father. Robin has a seemingly normal life, possesses great talent playing the piano, and attends a religious school where she is generally liked.

The one difference with Robin, though, is that she speaks in sign language. This is not out of necessity, but due to a vow of silence she took years ago. With no physical impairment, Robin can still hear and understand others’ words, but she simply chooses not to speak, herself.

One day, Robin is involved in a horrible accident that sends her to the hospital. She is pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Still, she wakes up suddenly 20 minutes later and is not only alive again, but speaking fluently. This is not the only change that Claire notices, however, and she soon begins to wonder if Robin came back as the same person.

While Salerno certainly provides an early wrinkle in the standard clichéd plot with Robin’s use of sign language, there are not enough aspects of Here After to separate it from other films like it until the very end. The film begins with a broken family, but it is unclear why this is so. We find out later on, but not enough time is spent on the family’s relationship from the get-go for us to invest in it.

The performances by the main cast are decent enough, but sadly they suffer as a result of a very dull script. Uninspired dialogue and a lack of chemistry lead to the audience not caring enough about the relationship between Claire and Robin. It is a complex one, but not fully explored enough until the very last moment.

For most of the film, the viewer is not quite as interested as they should be, outside of a few mildly tense sequences with the changed Robin. Sadly, though, the scenes offer little in terms of true horror. Thankfully, the third act unleashes a surprising reveal that reels the audience back in.

The twist raises the stakes and offers a more unique take on the familiar scenario. The film veers towards drama and succeeds more in that arena than it does with horror. The characters become more creative as do the writers, and it is quite enthralling to see. Even in this renewed period of intrigue, though, there is some quick and sloppy execution of certain events.

Overall, Here After falls victim to relying too much on a third-act reveal. A proper twist makes a good film great, but when the rest of the film leading up to it feels like a chore, it is tough to come back from that. With no compelling characters, dull dialogue, and clichés for the majority of the movie, the fascinating ending can’t quite mount enough of a comeback to make it all worthwhile.

Matt Patti

Matt Patti has enjoyed voicing his opinions on films from a young age. He has lived in the Baltimore, Maryland, area since 2015 and is a graduate of Stevenson University’s Film & Moving Image program. Matt is currently back at Stevenson University, working as the School of Design, Arts, and Communication's Studio Manager.