This documentary investigates the little-known activities that occur when someone dies, but leaves no next of kin behind to pick up the pieces. The process is endlessly fascinating, and filmmakers Grover Babcock and Blue Hadaegh follow it in intricate detail. Making sure they maintain a respectful distance from their deceased subjects, Babcock and Hadaegh show what happens to property, personal artefacts, and the body of these people. This allows the directors to offer some profound musings on the nature of death and loneliness, adding a moving subtext to A CERTAIN KIND OF DEATH that marks it out as a very special piece of work.
