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The Sweet Hereafter

Play trailer Poster for The Sweet Hereafter R 1997 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A small mountain community in Canada is devastated when a school bus accident leaves more than a dozen of its children dead. A big-city lawyer (Ian Holm) arrives to help the survivors' and victims' families prepare a class-action suit, but his efforts only seem to push the townspeople further apart. At the same time, one teenage survivor of the accident (Sarah Polley) has to reckon with the loss of innocence brought about by a different kind of damage.
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The Sweet Hereafter

The Sweet Hereafter

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Critics Consensus

Director Atom Egoyan examines tragedy and its aftermath with intelligence and empathy.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen Newsweek Mar 5, 2018
There's a mesmerizing clarity to The Sweet Hereafter': you're moved by it, but you never feel the filmmaker is milking your emotions. Go to Full Review Jason Bailey Flavorwire Dec 15, 2017
That's the true power of Egoyan's film - how in shuffling the chronological deck, we see what once was in this town, both in its light and its darkness, and how none of it will ever be the same, no matter what Mitchell Stevens says. Go to Full Review Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune Nov 6, 2002
4/5
A delicate and touching story. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Nov 2, 2025
5/5
…a grown-up film about the kind of issues created in a small community, The Sweet Hereafter is a haunting lament for lost innocence...it it’s a super-rare lead for Ian Holm that really gives Atom Egoyan's adaptation of a Russell Banks novel a higher gear… Go to Full Review Liz Braun Original Cin Nov 5, 2024
A
Rightly considered one of Canada’s most important films, writer-director Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter, now issued in restored form, stands the test of time. Go to Full Review Farah Cheded A Good Movie To Watch Dec 30, 2023
[Recreates] the terrible iciness of grief in a way that is difficult to shake off. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cindi L @cfparky Oct 6, 2026 I saw it decades ago and it still seeps into my memory. Unforgettable. Sadly brilliant See more Tim M @tgmacman Feb 1, 2026 Imbued with a raw feeling of grief and melancholy, The Sweet Hereafter gets to the emotional core of its story with aplomb. See more MakeItVanilla T @RT25636695 Nov 11, 2025 A beautifully authentic film which captures the complexity of navigating tragedy. There were so many layers and perspectives which culminated in the rise of good over evil. Slow and meandering, but mesmerizing. Atom Egoyan at his best. See more wes T @RT68656455 Aug 22, 2024 Didn’t think I’d like it but it was superb acting, great cinema. Ya can’t unsee it. See more Shioka O @RT54204327 Mar 3, 2024 Adapted from a novel based on true story. While quiet and delicate story telling, it's moving but cold and melancholic. Great cinematography and acting by Ian Holm. See more ronald h @RT44372985 Sep 18, 2022 This is an excellent film by all criteria: direction, camera work, acting. The performances are strong, particularly Ian Holm's. But get ready for some heavy melodrama and tragedy. I mean heavy, like a weight on your chest. The book had the same effect on me. After finishing it, I was almost sorry I read it. Are you in the mood for a movie about little kids getting killed in a school bus accident? Ask yourself before you watch this. Not exactly edifying subject matter----and, of course, there is no possibility of a happy ending. Not that happy endings are requisite, but be aware of what you're getting into. There is some really stupid folk/rock music on the soundtrack in the latter part of the film. It's supposed to be expository, but it throws off the whole mood. See more Read all reviews
The Sweet Hereafter

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Cast & Crew

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Atom Egoyan

Director

Ian Holm

Mitchell

Sarah Polley

Nicole

Bruce Greenwood

Billy

Tom McCamus

Sam

Arsinée Khanjian

Wanda

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The Sweet Hereafter

The Sweet Hereafter (1997) The Sweet Hereafter (1997) The Sweet Hereafter (1997) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A small mountain community in Canada is devastated when a school bus accident leaves more than a dozen of its children dead. A big-city lawyer (Ian Holm) arrives to help the survivors' and victims' families prepare a class-action suit, but his efforts only seem to push the townspeople further apart. At the same time, one teenage survivor of the accident (Sarah Polley) has to reckon with the loss of innocence brought about by a different kind of damage.
Director
Atom Egoyan
Producer
Camelia Frieberg, Atom Egoyan
Screenwriter
Russell Banks, Atom Egoyan
Distributor
Fine Line Features, New Line Home Video [us]
Production Co
Téléfilm Canada
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 4, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 10, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.4M
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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