Heaven, paradise, nirvana, Valhalla – whatever moniker you ascribe to the afterlife, the concept of life after death is as powerful as it is frightening. Now suppose that its existence is proven, right here on Earth in the present day, and you’ll have an inkling of The Discovery, Netflix and Charlie McDowell’s morbid new drama that centers on an unusual love story that blooms between Rooney Mara and Jason Segel.
In the fallout of Dr. Thomas Harbor’s (Robert Redford) landmark discovery – he prefers to call it a “new plane of existence,” rather than the afterlife – the world is crippled by mass suicide, as tens of thousands of people end their lives with reckless abandon in an attempt to enter this alleged new reality. Despite the temptation, Mara and Segel’s wounded protagonists resist, and instead work to make amends within their own lives before worrying about the next ones.
McDowell’s feature, one that boasts a script penned by Justin Lader (The One I Love), throws up all sorts of big, existential questions, as humanity is rocked by The Discovery and the promise (uncertainty?) it brings. Also starring Riley Keough (The Girlfriend Experience) and Fargo‘s Jesse Plemons, the film turned heads and raised eyebrows at Sundance Film Festival, prompting Netflix to swoop in to acquire international rights. Now, it’s fast approaching its March 31st premiere, and you’ll be able to find the fleeting logline, below.
“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. A man and woman fall in love while coming to terms with their own tragic pasts and the true nature of the afterlife.”
Netflix will invite subscribers onto a new plane of existence when The Discovery debuts on March 31st. That’s two weeks after the premiere of Marvel’s Iron Fist solo series, lending you just enough time to binge through Danny Rand’s spectacular origins story before the afterlife comes calling.
