Mortality Movies Episode One

Death has always been one of humanity’s favorite subjects to avoid, and also one of its most enduring topics in art and storytelling.

The first episode of the television series Mortality Movies examines three films that have become cultural landmarks in how we think about death, the afterlife, and what gives life meaning. Host Gail Rubin, known as The Doyenne of Death, is joined by death doula Danielle Slupesky and death educator Jane Westbrook to explore scenes from classic films that continue to influence audiences decades after their release.

Movies have a unique ability to help us engage with difficult subjects. Research suggests that visual storytelling improves retention of information, making films powerful teaching tools. When a movie entertains us while prompting deeper reflection, it can open doors to conversations that might otherwise never happen.

The films featured in this episode approach mortality from very different perspectives, yet each has earned a lasting place in popular culture.

Click on the image to see the film clip on YouTube.

Playing Chess with Death

One of cinema’s most iconic images comes from Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 masterpiece The Seventh Seal. In the film’s unforgettable opening scene, a weary medieval knight encounters Death on a deserted beach. Rather than surrender, he challenges Death to a game of chess. As long as the game continues, so does his life.

The scene has become shorthand for humanity’s struggle to understand and delay the inevitable. Even people who have never seen the film often recognize the image of a man seated across a chessboard from Death.

The concept resonated so deeply that it has been referenced and parodied countless times. Gail Rubin even created a student film project, The Bubblegum Film, that lovingly satirized the famous sequence. The enduring appeal of the scene may lie in its central question: If given the chance, what would we do with a little more time?

When Death Has a Sense of Humor

More than three decades later, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey offered a comic twist on Bergman’s solemn encounter.

Instead of a knight battling for his life through chess, Bill and Ted challenge Death to a series of increasingly ridiculous games. They defeat him at Battleship and other contests, eventually transforming him from adversary into an unlikely ally. Death even becomes the bass player in their band.

The film demonstrates how comedy can make discussions about death more approachable. Humor doesn’t diminish the seriousness of mortality. Instead, it can help people lower their defenses and engage with ideas they might otherwise avoid.

Many death educators have discovered that laughter often serves as a gateway to meaningful conversations about end-of-life issues. Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey reminds viewers that even Death can become a character we relate to rather than simply fear.

Learning How to Live

If The Seventh Seal asks how we confront death, Harold and Maude asks how we choose to live.

Released in 1971, the film follows Harold, a wealthy young man fascinated by death, who spends much of his time staging elaborate fake suicides and attending funerals of strangers. His outlook changes dramatically when he meets Maude, a vibrant 79-year-old woman who embraces life with enthusiasm, curiosity, and joy.

Their unlikely friendship has made Harold and Maude a beloved cult classic. Rather than focusing on death as an ending, the film emphasizes living authentically while we have the opportunity.

For many viewers, Maude becomes a reminder that a meaningful life is not measured by years alone. Her character encourages us to appreciate beauty, take risks, and remain fully engaged with the world around us.

It is perhaps one of the most life-affirming films ever made about death.

Judgment City and the Afterlife

The final featured film, Albert Brooks’ 1991 comedy Defending Your Life, explores one of humanity’s oldest questions: What happens after we die?

The film imagines an afterlife called Judgment City, where newly deceased individuals review their lives before determining whether they are ready to move on to a higher existence. Along the way, viewers encounter all-you-can-eat food without consequences, past-life exhibits, and a surprisingly bureaucratic version of eternity.

Beneath the humor lies a thoughtful examination of fear, courage, and personal growth. The film suggests that the greatest obstacle in life may not be death itself but the fears that prevent us from fully living.

For many death educators, Defending Your Life remains a favorite because it invites viewers to contemplate mortality without dread. Instead of punishment or reward, the focus is on learning and becoming more fully ourselves.

Bonus clip on the food in Judgement City!

Mortality Movies That Keep the Conversation Going

These three films have endured because they do more than entertain. They provide frameworks for discussing mortality, meaning, and the human experience.

Whether it’s a knight bargaining for time, two rock musicians outsmarting Death, a spirited elder teaching a young man how to live, or an afterlife devoted to personal growth, each story offers a different lens through which to view our own mortality.

As the Mortality Movies TV series demonstrates, films can help us confront difficult subjects in ways that feel safe, engaging, and even enjoyable. They remind us that conversations about death are ultimately conversations about life.

What films have shaped your thinking about death, dying, grief, or the afterlife? Are there movies you would add to the list alongside The Seventh Seal, Harold and Maude, and Defending Your Life?

The conversation is far from over.

Want the Full Mortality Movies Experience?

If you’re tired of bouncing back and forth between the TV show and YouTube clips, there’s an easier way.

Become a paid subscriber to Mortality Movies with The Doyenne of Death® on Substack and watch the complete episodes with the film clips built right in. No searching. No switching tabs. No interruptions.

Just sit back, enjoy the movies, and discover what they can teach us about death, dying, grief, and living life fully.

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