Afraid of Nothing–A Look Into What Comes Next

FILM REVIEW—Afraid of Nothing (D. Robert Heske, 2019)

Among the great boons of the streaming era is the preponderance of films and TV shows dedicated to the paranormal. Where once the creators of these pieces had to develop a pitch, film a pilot or a test reel, and somehow get it in front of a channel executive somewhere, creators can now (relatively easily) get their documentaries or ghost hunting shows on any number of streaming clients. If one of the big ones doesn’t pick up your show, no problem! You can go direct to YouTube or Twitch or other platforms.

But the same problem comes up with Amazon Prime, Hulu, and others. How can you tell which ones are worth watching, and which ones aren’t? That’s one of the many reasons I’m here—to watch them so you don’t have to.

The other night, I watched Robert Heske’s documentary about the afterlife, Afraid of Nothing. It was far more intriguing than I suspected it would be. While most docs of this sort focus only on one location, or one field of study, Heske chooses to cover as much as he can during the 100-minute running time. He covers ghosts, demons, hauntings, reincarnation, and everything in between. However, instead of the scattershot approach that this implies, the documentary is truly well-constructed, taking the viewer through each subject via a series of interviews with everyone from  Bob Berman, an astronomer who has co-written books with Brian Lanza (he of Dolly the Sheep fame) to self-professed mediums to healers and respected researchers like Jeff Belanger.

As the documentary proceeds, we find one constant that runs through every category—our consciousness goes on in some way, shape, or form, after we shuffle off this mortal coil. The question then becomes ‘how’ and ‘why’? Does the film offer up definitive proof? No, of course not. But it does make the audience think.

A True Believer will find lots to like here. A Hardcore Skeptic won’t be convinced. Heske instead offers us a series of thought experiments and personal experiences, presented with respect throughout.

The film does have one glaring flaw, which comes very early and runs through the first segment. Among the first people we encounter is Brad Hudson, a healer and a ‘depossessor’ (for want of a better term), who goes by the handle of ‘Little Frog’ His story of how he came to be doing what he does (casting out demons and other entities, basically) is interesting, but there’s a problem with it.

Little Frog claims (and truly seems to believe) that he is sensitive to spirit energies (a common enough claim), and can feel the spirits of those who have passed. Not too abnormal for a medium. However, when we see him in practice (walking through the Lizzie Borden house, for example), we see his fingers begin to shake as the spirits make contact with, or possibly accost him. It moves up his arms and so on, and there are locations in which his entire body is shaking uncontrollably.

For anyone with a skeptical mindset, it smacks of theatricality, and could possibly cause the viewer to turn it off. (And some of the reviews on Amazon bear this out.)

Do I think Little Frog is faking it? I don’t know. He certainly seems sincere. And since I do believe that there’s a very strong possibility of consciousness moving on past death, I’m not going to judge him. But for Heske to put the segment featuring Little Frog at the very beginning of the film seems to be either a mistake or an attempt to chase skeptics away.

However, if you can continue on through the beginning and give Little Frog the benefit of the doubt, you’ll be rewarded with a thoughtful examination of just what the afterlife may hold.

The title is a reference to the film’s entire point—if we go on, and we are eternal, then there’s nothing to be afraid of. Recommended.

Where can I watch it? Amazon Prime, Vimeo on Demand

UPDATE: September 12, 2020

After reading Mr. Heske’s message (below), I started thinking again about Little Frog and the theatrical aspect I raised an eyebrow at. I remembered that all rituals have an element of theatricality to them. Everything from Catholic communion to Masonic ceremonies to being sworn in as a public official is, in fact, ritualistic.

An act of ritual speaks to something deep inside us as humans, and is probably something we’ve been carrying with us for thousands upon thousands of years. Ritual prepares us for something bigger than ourselves, whether it’s secular or paranormal.

So who am I to judge Little Frog’s methods?