If you want a near-death experience documentary, a good place to begin is Surviving Death, the six-episode Netflix docuseries from 2021 that explores near-death experiences, beliefs in life after death and psychic mediumship. For films, the best-known titles range from true-story dramas such as Heaven Is for Real to fantasy and thriller classics such as Hereafter and What Dreams May Come. This guide sorts them so you know what you are watching.
It also adds what no film can: real people describing what they say they experienced. Next Level Soul podcast guests, including researchers, share full-length interviews, and you will find three of them embedded below. For background on the experience itself, read our complete guide to near-death experiences.
Key Takeaways
- Surviving Death (Netflix, 2021) is a six-episode docuseries that covers near-death experiences, beliefs in life after death and mediumship.
- Heaven Is for Real, 90 Minutes in Heaven and Miracles from Heaven are dramas based on true accounts.
- Hereafter, What Dreams May Come, Defending Your Life, Flatliners and Jacob’s Ladder are fiction that borrows NDE themes.
- Films dramatize. For the real thing, listen to experiencers and researchers in full-length interviews.
- Pair any title with reflection: what stayed with you, and what would you live differently?
Near-Death Experience Movies and Shows at a Glance
| Title | Year | Type | Why it matters for NDE viewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surviving Death | 2021 | Docuseries (Netflix) | Looks at near-death experiences, life after death and mediumship across six episodes. |
| Heaven Is for Real | 2014 | Drama, true story | A family’s account of a young boy’s experience of heaven. |
| 90 Minutes in Heaven | 2015 | Drama, true story | Adapted from the bestselling book by Don Piper. |
| Miracles from Heaven | 2016 | Drama, true story | Based on Christy Beam’s book about her young daughter’s near-death experience. |
| Hereafter | 2010 | Fantasy drama | Three parallel stories about people affected by death, directed by Clint Eastwood. |
| What Dreams May Come | 1998 | Fantasy drama | A visual vision of the afterlife that won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. |
| Defending Your Life | 1991 | Comedy-fantasy | A man stands trial in the afterlife while his life and fears are examined. |
| Flatliners | 1990 | Science fiction horror | Medical students stop their hearts to see what lies beyond. |
| Jacob’s Ladder | 1990 | Psychological horror | A veteran’s experiences blur reality, with hellish imagery. |
Documentaries and Docuseries
Surviving Death (2021)
Surviving Death is a docu-series directed by Ricki Stern about near-death experiences and beliefs in life after death, and psychic mediumship. Its first season of six episodes was released on Netflix on 6 January 2021, and it is based on journalist Leslie Kean’s 2017 book. If you want one documentary that surveys the territory, this is the one most people mention first. Read the background on Wikipedia.
Because it covers more than one topic, pair it with our guides to shared death experiences and terminal lucidity, two related experiences people describe near the end of life.
Near-Death Documentaries on Next Level Soul TV
Next Level Soul TV has its own near-death and afterlife titles, from first-person accounts to research-led films. Here are the ones to start with.
Browse every title in the Next Level Soul TV movie library.
Films Based on True Near-Death Stories
Heaven Is for Real (2014)
A 2014 American Christian drama written and directed by Randall Wallace and co-written by Christopher Parker, based on the 2010 book by Pastor Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent. It stars Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly and follows a family as their young son describes what he says he saw during a medical emergency.
90 Minutes in Heaven (2015)
A 2015 American Christian drama directed by Michael Polish and starring Hayden Christensen and Kate Bosworth, based on the bestselling book of the same name. It dramatizes the author’s account of a life-changing accident and what he says happened afterward.
Miracles from Heaven (2016)
A 2016 American Christian drama directed by Patricia Riggen and written by Randy Brown, based on Christy Beam’s book recounting the true story of her young daughter’s near-death experience.
Fiction Films That Borrow NDE Themes
Hereafter (2010)
Directed, co-produced and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by Peter Morgan, Hereafter tells three parallel stories about people affected by death. One thread begins with a near-death experience, which is why it so often appears on lists like this one.
What Dreams May Come (1998)
Directed by Vincent Ward from Richard Matheson’s 1978 novel, starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra and Cuba Gooding Jr. It won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects for its painterly afterlife. It is a love story first and a vision of the other side second. Producer Stephen Simon shares the story behind the film and how loved ones speak to us from the other side in our conversation with Stephen Simon.
Defending Your Life (1991)
A romantic comedy-fantasy in which a man finds himself on trial in the afterlife, where proceedings examine his lifelong fears to decide whether he is reincarnated on Earth or moves on. It is playful, but it echoes the life review that many experiencers describe, which we explore in Life Review in a Near-Death Experience.
Flatliners and Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
Flatliners is a science fiction psychological horror film directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Kiefer Sutherland and Julia Roberts. Jacob’s Ladder is a psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, written by Bruce Joel Rubin and starring Tim Robbins. Both are thrillers. They are worth knowing as pop culture, not as portraits of what experiencers report. Rubin talks about life, death and the other side in our interview with Bruce Joel Rubin.
Ghost (1990)
Ghost is a fantasy romance directed by Jerry Zucker and starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Bruce Joel Rubin won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. It is a fiction film that borrows themes found in near-death accounts, such as love that outlasts the body, and it is a story, not a documentary.
How Films Compare With Reported Accounts
| Reported feature | In film | In real accounts |
|---|---|---|
| A light and a presence | Often shown as a glowing doorway or a welcoming figure. | Many experiencers describe overwhelming love, not only a visual light. |
| Life review | A courtroom, a screening room or a montage. | Often felt from the inside, sometimes from the other person’s side. |
| Distressing experiences | Horror and punishment imagery. | A minority report distressing experiences, and many go on to describe positive change. |
| Return | A dramatic rescue or a choice. | People describe a choice, a push or being told they are not done. |
Hear It From Real Experiencers and Researchers
Every film above is an interpretation. The Divine Encounters podcast on Next Level Soul gives you the person themselves, in their own words. Three conversations to begin with:
Watch the full episode and read the show notes with Anton Grosz.
Watch the full episode and read the show notes with Dr. Janice Holden.
Watch the full episode and read the show notes with David Suich.
How to Watch With Discernment
- Know the genre. Drama, fantasy and horror will not match each other or the research.
- Compare with real accounts. After a film, listen to one interview and notice what matches.
- Watch your own state. If you are grieving or have had an NDE yourself, choose gentler titles.
- Reflect. Ask what the story asks of you, then write one line about how you would live it.
Looking for more? See our guides to ghosts and the afterlife in film, spiritual awakening movies and the best spiritual movies, or browse the movies and podcasts on Next Level Soul TV.
Episodes to Watch Next
More Next Level Soul conversations on near-death experiences.
Sources and Further Reading
Spirituality for the Rest of Us™
Movies, teachings and community on Next Level Soul TV.
Frequently Asked Questions About Near-Death Experience Documentaries and Films
What is the best near-death experience documentary?
A popular starting point is Surviving Death, the six-episode docuseries directed by Ricki Stern that was released on Netflix in January 2021. It covers near-death experiences, beliefs in life after death and psychic mediumship. For longer, first-person accounts, the Next Level Soul podcast has many full interviews with experiencers.
Is there a near-death experience documentary on Netflix?
Surviving Death was released on Netflix on 6 January 2021. It is based on journalist Leslie Kean’s 2017 book. Availability on any platform changes over time, so check the service you use.
Which movies are based on real near-death experiences?
Heaven Is for Real (2014), 90 Minutes in Heaven (2015) and Miracles from Heaven (2016) are all dramas based on books by the people involved or their families. They adapt personal accounts, so details are dramatized for film.
Which movie best shows a life review?
Defending Your Life (1991) imagines an afterlife proceeding that examines a person’s life and fears, in comedy form. For real descriptions of the life review, listen to experiencers such as William J. Peters, Maria Lupita Gurulé and Karen Thomas.
Are near-death experience movies accurate?
Movies borrow familiar features such as a light, a tunnel or reunions, but they compress and dramatize them. The true-story films follow a single account, and the fiction films invent their own versions. Interviews with experiencers and researchers are a better guide to what people actually report.
Is Hereafter about a near-death experience?
Hereafter (2010), directed by Clint Eastwood, follows three parallel stories of people affected by death. One of them begins with a near-death experience, which is why it is often on NDE watch lists.
Is Flatliners a realistic movie about near-death experiences?
No. Flatliners (1990) is a science fiction psychological horror film in which medical students stop their hearts to see what lies beyond. It is a fictional thriller, not a documentary account.
Are there distressing near-death experience movies?
Jacob’s Ladder (1990) is a psychological horror film with hellish imagery, written by Bruce Joel Rubin. Reported distressing NDEs are different, and many experiencers who have them also describe positive change afterward.
Where can I hear real near-death experience stories?
The Next Level Soul podcast has many full-length near-death experience interviews on the Divine Encounters show, with video and show notes on each episode page. Start with the episodes in this guide.
Are there NDE researchers I can watch?
Yes. Dr. Janice Holden, David Suich, Dr. Jeffrey Long and Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove all appear on the Next Level Soul podcast and speak about what the research shows.
Can watching near-death experience stories help with grief?
Many people find comfort in hearing others describe peace, love and reunion. It is a personal choice, and if you are grieving heavily, pace yourself and consider support from a licensed professional.
Go Deeper with NLS Mastery: Beyond the Veil
A grounded exploration of what lies beyond death and how that understanding changes how we live. Julie Ryan teaches it in Beyond the Veil, part of NLS Mastery. Watch the course preview below.
