review by debby dodds
The Lazarus Effect, a new film by Director David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi), presents horror fans with an interesting mashup of some of horror’s greatest hits. If I hadn’t liked it as much as I did, I might have called it derivative, but because I found the psychological suspense pretty riveting, I’ll call it an homage. Inevitable comparisons to both the cheesy Flatliners and Frankenstein will be rife, but arguably Lazarus has a more believable premise for both the initial experiments with reanimation and the (unwise) escalation to a human subject.
As a diehard horror fan, I couldn’t help but relate some of the moral quandaries being raised in Lazarus with what they explore in many of my favorite television series and films. I couldn’t help but think of Dark Willow from the Buffy series when evil consumes the protagonist in Lazarus, and the power of dreams becoming more than just dreams reminded me, naturally, of A Nightmare on Elm Street (particularly Dream Warriors). And there was even a bit of a Carrie feel when the leading lady begins to realize her burgeoning telekinetic power.
It might sound like this film is just a rip-off of every other horror film that has come before it, but the storyline and acting—particularly that of both Mark Duplass and Sarah Bolger—is solid. The supporting characters seem a bit stereotypical. Olivia Wilde does an impressive amount of jaw muscle acting. Lest you think the film has no fresh surprises, it was the first one I’ve ever seen that portrays the potential doucheyness of vaping and dire repercussions, horror film style. And while the film has a sly sense of humor, it never crosses the border into cheesiness. The gore is surprisingly minimal and the endings that turn out not to be endings are pretty lame, but in the end, the final scene provides a satisfying conclusion.
LIVINGDEADMAGAZINE.COM
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