Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Life After

Play trailer 2:23 Poster for Life After Released Jul 18 1h 39m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 26 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the "right to die," igniting a national debate about autonomy, dignity, and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom trials, Bouvia disappeared from public view. Disabled director Reid Davenport narrates this investigation of what happened to Bouvia and her story's relevance today. LIFE AFTER coalesces the missing voices of the disability community in the contemporary debate about assisted dying. Davenport looks at the ways that disabled people have and continue to die prematurely--whether murdered by a hospital in the case of Michael Hickson in Texas, or with the support of parents and community in the case of Wisconsin teen Jerika Bolen. Davenport's exploration brings him to Canada, where safeguards have been lifted to allow disabled people unprecedented access to Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), even if their deaths are not reasonably foreseeable. In Ontario, Davenport interviews disabled computer programmer Michal Kaliszan, who contemplated MAID when his only alternative was entering an institution. In a society where ableism and poor healthcare can limit options, the autonomy of a disabled individual is often compromised. LIFE AFTER demonstrates how assisted dying may not represent choice when oftentimes it is seen as the only option.

Critics Reviews

View All (26)
Matt Zoller Seitz RogerEbert.com A powerful movie that examines the political and social structures that surround and control people with disabilities, and comes to a conclusion that will spark many arguments. Rated: 3/4 Jul 18, 2025 Full Review Ben Kenigsberg New York Times Life After doesn’t equivocate; neither does it offer easy answers. It tackles a thorny topic in a challenging way, with the tenderness, complexity and — notwithstanding Davenport’s earlier wish — the personal perspective it deserves. Jul 17, 2025 Full Review Lauren Wissot Slant Magazine The film may be most powerful for how Reid Davenport subtly connects the experience of the disabled community with that of marginalized diaspora groups at large. Rated: 3/4 Jul 13, 2025 Full Review Joseph Neff Spectrum Culture With Life After, Davenport has built a film with a clear point of view, but the presentation won’t lead everyone to the same conclusion. This lack of didacticism helps in the film’s ultimate success. Jul 21, 2025 Full Review Alise Chaffins Movies We Texted About [Life After]...highlights some of the problems that can arise when there is a campaign asking disabled people if they’d prefer to kill themselves without providing the help they need to live the life they want. Rated: 4/5 Jul 19, 2025 Full Review Simon Foster Screen-Space A bracing, immediate testament to Elizabeth ’s legacy and the social and moral complexities it has forged. Rated: 4.5/5 Jul 18, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1)
Stephen C Real footage in 1 hour and 39 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Life After

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
I Know Catherine, the Log Lady 100% % I Know Catherine, the Log Lady Watchlist TRAILER for I Know Catherine, the Log Lady Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt 100% 93% Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt Watchlist Zurawski v Texas 100% 99% Zurawski v Texas Watchlist Bye Bye Tiberias 100% 91% Bye Bye Tiberias Watchlist I Didn't See You There 97% % I Didn't See You There Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the "right to die," igniting a national debate about autonomy, dignity, and the value of disabled lives. After years of courtroom trials, Bouvia disappeared from public view. Disabled director Reid Davenport narrates this investigation of what happened to Bouvia and her story's relevance today. LIFE AFTER coalesces the missing voices of the disability community in the contemporary debate about assisted dying. Davenport looks at the ways that disabled people have and continue to die prematurely--whether murdered by a hospital in the case of Michael Hickson in Texas, or with the support of parents and community in the case of Wisconsin teen Jerika Bolen. Davenport's exploration brings him to Canada, where safeguards have been lifted to allow disabled people unprecedented access to Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), even if their deaths are not reasonably foreseeable. In Ontario, Davenport interviews disabled computer programmer Michal Kaliszan, who contemplated MAID when his only alternative was entering an institution. In a society where ableism and poor healthcare can limit options, the autonomy of a disabled individual is often compromised. LIFE AFTER demonstrates how assisted dying may not represent choice when oftentimes it is seen as the only option.
Director
Reid Davenport
Producer
Colleen Cassingham
Distributor
Multitude Films / Independent Lens
Production Co
Multitude Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 18, 2025, Limited
Runtime
1h 39m