SPOILERS: Ned's Vital Stats
Assuming Ned is actually dead, that would make The Swimmer the first of the genre:
1.) Swimmer
2.) Jacob's Ladder
3.) Angel Heart
4.) The Sixth Sense
I am in a blissful state, so don't bug me.
I was thinking "Jacob's Ladder" the longer he swam. As far as this being the first to explore that theme, I would say 1962's "Carnival of Souls" did it earlier, but of course, whether the character there is dead is open to interpretation (as it is here). Ambrose Bierce's short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" had a similar theme in 1890. Regardless, this is an excellent film!
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Ah, thank you, Sandoz! You're right about "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." I read that story in high school, which, sadly, was a long time ago.
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