A Job to Die For

When a bored Grim Reaper delays claiming the soul of a devoted gas station attendant, he discovers the joy of minimum-wage labor—only to trigger supernatural chaos when other Reapers come to drag Death back to work.

Genre: Fantasy / Comedy / Horror
Tone: Absurd but Emotionally Sincere, Satirical, Darkly Playful
Setting: Small town in the USA
Comparable DNA: Beetlejuice, Office Space, Shaun of the Dead, Good Omens

Overview

A JOB TO DIE FOR is a darkly funny supernatural comedy about burnout, purpose, and the absurd dignity of loving what you do—even when it pays terribly.

Neil is a small-town gas station attendant who genuinely loves his job. He knows every regular by name, takes pride in spotless bathrooms, and proudly displays his Employee of the Year plaque. So when Death arrives to claim Neil’s soul, the encounter doesn’t go as planned.

Neil refuses to leave.

Not out of fear—but out of loyalty. Someone has to cover his shift.

Death, exhausted after millennia of soul-collecting, reluctantly agrees to wait. What begins as a short delay turns into an unexpected detour as Neil gives Death small chores to pass the time: restocking shelves, wiping counters, handling customers. To Death’s surprise, the work is… satisfying. Finite. Appreciated. No screaming. No pleading. Just tasks with clear results.

For the first time in eternity, Death feels useful in a way that doesn’t involve tragedy.

By the end of Neil’s shift, Death finally does his job—claiming Neil’s soul with genuine regret. But instead of leaving, Death does the unthinkable: he puts on Neil’s uniform and stays, assuming his identity behind the counter. As Neil’s replacement, Death experiences the mundane joys of human life—routine, camaraderie, mild inconveniences, and the strange comfort of being invisible.

But Death can’t simply abandon his post.

His absence throws the cosmic order into disarray. Other Grim Reapers descend on the town to retrieve him, each embodying different interpretations of Death’s role—cold bureaucrats, violent zealots, and overachievers desperate to prove their worth. Their arrival brings supernatural havoc, body counts, and escalating absurdity.

Now caught between two worlds, Death/Neil must confront the truth: he didn’t hate his job—he hated how long he forgot why it mattered. To save the town and restore balance, Death must relinquish the simple life he’s come to love and reclaim his role with renewed purpose.

A JOB TO DIE FOR is a comedy about reclaiming meaning in work, the fantasy of escape, and the sobering realization that even the worst job in the universe matters—especially when no one else wants it.