Over My Dead Body 1995

Fred Wischnewski, Christoph M. Ohrt, runs the Amor matchmaking agency with a self-centered, macho swagger, constantly getting involved with the women who seek his help. When his wife and business partner, Charlotte Wischnewski Ulrike Folkerts, has had enough of his affairs, she arranges for his murder by a professional killer. After his death, he wakes up on a ferry crossing the Styx, where the first conversation with the ferryman is oddly humorous:

Who are you?

I am the ferryman who brings the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.

And where the hell are you taking me?

Your question already contains the answer.

Those who are there would wish they were in Hell.

The unexpected turn of events sets up a strange bargain: if Fred can make three heartbroken women happy within three days, his life will be restored. If he fails, he must go to the engine room of the ferry. This vow frames his coming challenges as he realizes that no one there truly wants him to succeed.

Shortly after his accident, Fred finds himself in Rita Hauser’s coal cellar—a place his agency has not yet tracked down. Rita Hauser, Katja Riemann, wonders how a man ended up beneath her coal stash and offers him help, though she is no ordinary ally. She is a militant animal rights activist who, among other things, frees rabbits from laboratories, and her house becomes a new base for Fred’s fragile second chance. She invites Fred and his mother to stay, and their presence begins to shift the terms of his unfinished business.

Rita’s companionship gives Fred a chance to set his sights on his first goal. He wants to protect and restore his sixteen-year-old daughter Lisa Julia Brendler, who has fallen into peril under the streets’ darker aspects. With Rita’s support, Fred confronts the danger surrounding Lisa, helps bring the pimps to justice, and earns a measure of redemption by saving the girl. This victory marks the completion of his first task and pushes him toward the next.

The second task follows: winning back Lisa’s mother, Barbara, whose soul has been unsettled ever since she threw herself out of a window twelve years ago in a moment of lovesickness. Fred’s efforts, aided by Rita, begin to clear the path for Barbara to depart this world for good, a crucial reversal that helps Fred believe his life can be rebuilt.

Meanwhile, Charlotte continues to hunt for Fred’s body, convinced that the third task hinges on reuniting with him. As Fred’s feelings deepen, he starts to realize that his heart has shifted toward Rita. The pursuit of his wife’s ghostly last move intensifies the tension, even as Fred and Rita grow closer in the living world. When Charlotte’s accidental misfortune with a poison arrow removes one obstacle, Fred faces a crucial moment of doubt about his abilities to complete the remaining task.

In a tense twist of fate, Fred’s act of saving Rita’s rescue mission and choosing life over death culminates in a revelation: he can no longer simply reclaim his old life through a contract with the ferryman. Instead, he discovers a real, lasting connection with Rita. This bond becomes the true reward he discovers as he navigates the three tasks—each one a test of redemption, forgiveness, and love.

Ultimately, Fred’s journey shifts from a desperate bargain to a genuine quest for happiness. By facing the people he harmed, embracing responsibility, and choosing to fight for the life he wants with Rita by his side, he finds his true partner. In the end, the man who started as a self-serving schemer learns what it means to build a future with someone who accepts him, including the strength to protect his daughter and to stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. The story closes on a note of hopeful affection, with Fred discovering a real, enduring love in Rita.