RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! Films about the afterlife have had an uphill battle ever since the release of What Dreams May Come in 1998. That Vincent Ward-directed drama is the most visually striking and engaging portrayal of what happens after death ever put to film; it will likely remain that way forever. So, what should one do if making an independent production all about the afterlife? Well, J. Markus Anderson and Boyd Anderson (credited as The Andersons) get wildly creative in their feature-length debut, If You Should Leave Before Me. Does that creativity get shown off in the storyline as well as the art design?
Mark (Shane P. Allen) and Joshua (John Wilcox) are a loving couple who enjoy teasing each other over things such as their preferences for how hot the coffee should be. However, there’s clearly a gnawing rift between them as they are in the throes of grief. The problem is that neither man is sure of what to say about it, so they work and work and work. Said job, which the couple both do, is to help the newly deceased with any burdens, guilt, or shame they have before crossing over to the next realm. These people often don’t realize they are dead right away and exist in a world composed of the things most important to them, with some notable twists. For instance, Lorne (Merrick McCartha) picks up Mark and Joshua and gives them a ride to the hospital, where they meet the man’s wife. The thing is, this entire world is made of cut-out cardboard and paper, including Bonnie. Once the dead person accepts their fate, they move on. So why are Mark and Joshua, who were once regular humans, stuck in limbo, forced to help others? More importantly, why is there an evil spirit chasing them down?
Set designers Ava Decapri and Nico Pliskin show off quite a bit throughout the 2-hour runtime of If You Should Leave Before Me. Each deceased person’s realm appears striking and distinct from the last. There’s a lady who was very into antiques and the like, so her area is garish wallpaper and all the ceramic plates that have ever existed. The film is visually impressive at all times and even more so when the wildness of these realms is juxtaposed against the mundane house of Mark and Joshua. The lighting is just as important as the set work in creating a different atmosphere for each section and bringing it to life.
Shane P. Allen and John Wilcox navigate a whimsical, antique-filled world as part of the afterlife journey in If You Should Leave Before Me.
“…why are Mark and Joshua, who were once regular humans, stuck in limbo, forced to help others?”
The screenplay plumbs into the depths of these people in some shocking ways. Without spoiling things, trauma, loneliness, depression, self-hate, and anxiety are all explored in profound and impactful ways. The ending goes especially hard, and the payoff is completely worth it.
Allen and Wilcox are excellent together, selling their characters’ relationship and their grief. McCartha’s fun as the first person seen being ferried across to the afterlife. Brooke McCormick has a cameo, but she makes it most moving. Vu Mai’s portrayal of Sarah offers a believably dark twist to who or what Mark and Joshua could become if things had gone slightly differently. Tom Noga is brilliant as Gunther, who may or may not be a Nazi.
If You Should Leave Before Me is very creative, both visually and in terms of plot. Whatever the budget was, it is all there on screen to create some fantastic after-death realms with over-the-top visuals that are unforgettable. Allen, who was also a producer, and Wilcox are terrific and effectively convey the crazy realms depicted and the emotional honesty of the story with dignity.
If You Should Leave Before Me screened at the 2025 Raindance Film Festival.
"…wildly creative..."
