Serena DC’s Beyond the Grave is a fascinating documentary that dares to tackle the topic of what happens when the mortal body is ready to shut down and if the spirit persists afterwards. Although this is not really a subject to discuss in the middle of Ghost Month, I’m sure some Asians are wondering if their loved ones are doing okay.
This filmmaker is better known for Contact – The CE-5 Experience, and although that work is about encountering aliens from outer space, maybe that’s what we become when entering the aether, and have to deal with a new incorporeal reality. As for whether paranormal investigators and ghost hunters can find evidence for this continued existence, that’s still debatable.
Here, nearly everything but the kitchen sink is explored when concerning validating there is life after shedding the mortal coil and perhaps even whether life can be extended. Regarding the former, that also includes near-death experiences, and whether new abilities are gained after recovering from a fatal experience. Even cryonics are explored; while this is unproven science, the hope is that some advancement can be found in the future to reanimate the dead. But by then, that spirit will have become something else, or has reincarnated. Even spiritual beliefs are explored to consider what happens beyond the grave.
No work can be considered complete without a foray into paranormal investigation and what various groups do. Here, Serena interviews Andrea Perron, author of the trilogy, “House of Darkness.” This book inspired the Conjuring films and as for whether it’s all real or not, I’m glad The Warrens aren’t necessarily made the focus. Instead, Ken DeCosta, Director at RISEUP Paranormal Group, gives his five cents concerning what went on, and if it’s real or imagined.
Unlike other paranormal documentaries, Serena’s interviews with these people don’t rinse and repeat what’s already known. And to be honest, since she and Kesha belong in the entertainment industry, I found DC’s work far better since she’s playing detective better than what the singer tried a year ago. Because this filmmaker decided to jam everything about the subject into one documentary, I’m sure some details have been missed. As a result, I’ll have to watch this program again to write down what she got theories that others have not managed to cajole out of the interviewees.
It’s a shame Beyond the Grave is not a documentary series. The subjects she tackled can’t be compressed down to a short ten to fifteen minute segment. After a lengthy intro, the other parts felt short. Had it been expanded to a format similar to William Shatner’s The UnXplained for example, I’m sure more interviews could be conducted. But as for whether the specialty networks would broadcast it, I’m sure they’d want to mess around with making the presentation a lot more exciting.
3 Stars out of 5
Beyond the Grave Documentary Trailer
