Afterlife: Season Two DVD Review

     Format: Multiple Formats, Color, NTSC

Language: English (Stereo)

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 2

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: BBC Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: October 7, 2014

Run Time: 370 minutes

 

 

        Made nearly ten years ago, “Afterlife” is only now finding its way to home entertainment, and the reason is clear to find in the cast members. This British horror series stars Andrew Lincoln of “The Walking Dead” fame, with ghosts rather than zombies for the actor to take on. Unfortunately, the series feels more than ten years old, with a dated and cliché narrative structure. Ghost stories are difficult to make engaging, and “Afterlife” does little to update or modernize the tired clichés of the genre. In many ways this series is The Sixth Sense in episodic form, with a gifted medium burdened with the task of helping all of the dead ghosts she encounters. Season two even begins with a narrative in which the dead are unaware they are no longer alive, a further reminder of the 1999 box office phenomenon.

 

        Lincoln stars as psychologist, University lecturer, and skeptic Robert Bridge, a man whose entire career is based on challenging the ideas of ghosts until he encounters his deceased son through a truly gifted medium. Alison Mundy (Lesley Sharp) has a real gift in her ability to talk to the dead, but it takes her a great deal of effort in order to convince others that she is not faking. The major shift in season two comes with Bridge’s dismissal of doubt, giving Mundy a much-needed ally. Each episode gives her a new opportunity to prove this skill with a unique case/mystery for the pair to solve together. There are a few thrills and brief scares, but mostly, this series is weighed down by a lot of heavy melodrama. Who knew ghosts were so damn depressing.

 

        There were only two seasons of “Afterlife,” and a majority of the episodes were in this second season. Although season one only had six episodes, season two has bumped the number up to eight. The storylines and production values seemed to have also increased, but apparently it was not enough to ensure a third season. All eight episodes are included on two discs, along with a behind-the-scenes featurette on the second disc.

 

 

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 7/10

Historical Significance:  6/10

Special Features: 4/10