A significant chunk of people seem rather fond of the concept of an afterlife. (No one joins a religion just for the snacks. Not even Cheetolicism.) A star-studded science-fiction offering earmarked for arrival on Netflix is doing the sci-fi thing of presenting the complex moral questions attached to this mysterious next stage and the freshly arrived official trailer suggests things are gonna get messy.
Charlie McDowell’s The Discovery premiered at Sundance in January and the latest peek teases grey days ahead for Netflix viewers when they catch the film’s nondance debut on March 31. Starring Jason Segel, Rooney Mara and Robert Redford, the film deals with The Discovery™ of what Redford refers to as a “new plane of existence.” Going off of the barrage of miserable grey, a helpful kill count tracker and the lack of LMFAO on the soundtrack, this isn’t exactly the cheeriest of propositions.
“One year after the existence of the afterlife is scientifically verified, millions around the world have ended their own lives in order to ‘get there,'” declares the promotional arm of The Discovery. “A man and woman fall in love while coming to terms with their own tragic pasts and the true nature of the afterlife.”
Critics were somewhat mixed on the film when it made its debut in non-Netflix form. The Guardian wasn’t too sweet on the film billing it as a picture with a “more interesting movie that is just out of grasp.” In contrast, Indiewire was more positive on The Discovery giving the movie a solid B while praising the rapport between Segel and Mara. You can sort out your own verdict once The Discovery hits Netflix at the end of March.
