Beyond Tomorrow (1940)

19 Feb 2023

Rating: /5

Couldn’t sleep so I put on this wild-ass movie

For the first half, I thought it was a warm and sentimental story of three lonely old men on Christmas who find a way to feed and care for some strangers

Then these guys die in a plane crash and become ghosts

The first guy, Allan, argues in favor of the English colonizing Australia and “redeeming” it, and seems to have some shady past that would cause his friends to avoid him… He dreams of a heaven where he’s back in his war regiment, and then his dead son shows up and takes him there

The second, George, refuses to apologize for his past crimes and so a vague thunderstorm of judgement comes and summons him

The third, Michael, forgoes his call to heaven so he can help a boy get out of a toxic relationship. When the boy and his no-good lover are both shot and killed by a jealous ex, the boy — now also a ghost — is consoled by Michael

Then God comes back for Michael because Michael’s mother wouldn’t stop haranguing God to let him in. Michael begs God to let the boy live, and so he does

The lover? She “had no soul to go on with” so presumably faded into the ether

Finally, George comes back, having paid for his crimes and he and Michael walk off into the glowing light of heaven

Watching this movie is my new Christmas tradition


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