Shot entirely in Los Angeles, the 72-minute dark comedy marks the arrival of a striking new voice in independent filmmaking. Kuo blends surreal imagery, dark humor, and emotional resonance, channeling the spirit of Short Cuts and Mulholland Drive while carving out a tone uniquely his own.
Angels Near Death follows Oscar, a heartbroken filmmaker who takes his own life in hopes of reuniting with his lost love in the afterlife, and Alice, a journalist murdered by a fine-art photographer. Together, they enter a spectral in-between realm—where dreams unravel, souls wander, and the living world feels just out of reach. Joined by other lost spirits, they embark on a daring quest to reclaim their bodies and revive the beautiful lives they were meant to live.
Kuo, a Taiwanese filmmaker who moved to Los Angeles to chase the Hollywood dream, describes the film as “a love letter to dreamers who lose themselves searching for meaning in Hollywood.”
“I wanted to portray Los Angeles not just as a backdrop but as a mirage,” Kuo says. “It’s about people caught between fantasy and reality, love and regret, life and death. We often become too focused on chasing success and forget that the true meaning of life is just to live happily.”
Produced by Angels Near Death LLC under a SAG-AFTRA agreement, the film completed post-production at Company 3 and premiered at AFM ahead of a planned 2026 festival and distribution rollout.
