The 1990 “Flatliners” isn’t a film many millennials recall, and those who do don’t necessarily consider it a classic. The 2017 “Flatliners” is a remake rather than a sequel, therefore, the background is fairly similar to the original.
Five medical students, Courtney as Ellen Page, Ray as Diego Luna, Marlo as Nina Dobrev, Jamie as James Norton and Sophia as Kiersey Clemons, engage in a risky experiment in the hopes of uncovering the mystery of the afterlife through studying brain activity after death.
The experiment is risky not only because it involves stopping and reviving each others’ hearts, but because it is conducted in the basement of the hospital in which they are residents. Soon after the experiment, the flatliners are visited by personal demons from their past, which seem to be haunting them. They are confronted with an ethical dilemma: face their sins and risk their prosperous futures, or withhold their secrets and risk their lives.
“Flatliners” was rewarded a 3 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, which is surprising considering the original wasn’t a tough competitor to beat. The review may have fallen flat, but the movie is anything but flat. The sci-fi/horror film was described as boring and not so horrific. Boring? Were the critics still mesmerized by Jamie’s beautiful blue eyes? Between mysterious paranormal visions and unintentional hilarity, the movie keeps you on your toes from start to finish. As for the genre confusion, this “horror” movie isn’t full of blood and guts, but be prepared, because the jump scares make up for it. There’s your warning.
“Flatliners” has a paranormal vibe with a splash of mystery, romance and comedy. You’ll be straining your brain trying to guess the ending while anticipating the next jump scare; simultaneously, you can’t help but laugh at Jamie’s witty humor and yearn for the unspoken attraction between the two competitive characters, Marlo and Ray, to become something more romantic.
If you require violent murders with blood and nasty sound effects in order to classify a film as “horror,” you may want to save this one for a pay-per-view kind of night and plan to see “Jigsaw,” coming to theaters Oct. 27, instead. However, if you enjoy multi-genre films and appreciate horror movies without the gory special effects, the 2017 “Flatliners” remake is a must see. The film begins with a heart-sinking scene, which leaves you wanting answers, jumps right into the plot, which will keep you flinching and laughing, and ends with… well, you’ll have to find out.