The Lazarus Effect (Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde) - February 27, 2015

[KilloWertz]

A team of ambitious medical professionals have found a way to bring dead patients back to life using a serum codenamed "Lazarus". After several successful tests are done on animals, Zoe (Olivia Wilde), one of the lead researchers, dies in a lab accident. In desperation, the team uses "Lazarus" to bring her back and they are successful. But as she begins to display unusual abilities the team begins to realize that in their attempt to resurrect the dead, they may have opened the door to unfathomable evil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ks6JqLzVTA

[KilloWertz]

Poll added...

[MikeScott]

Seeing it Sunday. Really like the leads so I hope it's enjoyable.

[Adam_ME]

I'll reiterate what I said in the box office thread. It's like someone took Pet Sematary, Event Horizon, Flatliners, and Lucy and mixed them in a blender and then took a steaming dump on it.

This is a bad, bad movie. And since it's PG-13, there isn't even any gratuitous gore or nudity to make it more tolerable. You've been warned.

[KarmaNL]

I thought this was the Deadly Friend remake?

[Elandyll]

Originally Posted by KarmaNL

I thought this was the Deadly Friend remake?

I was coming in to say the exact same thing!

[Holmes]

The amorality and danger of restoring life to a corpse is very recognizable ground for fiction, the most beloved example flowing, of course, from the pen of Mary Shelley. The Lazarus Effect, a relatively inexpensive fright film with a more-prestigious-than-expected cast, is a muted and unsatisfying variation on this theme. Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde portray engaged scientists, and their lab partners are Donald Glover, Evan Peters, and a fetching Sarah Bolger. In an expansive and absurdly under-lit university laboratory, the group has developed an astonishing serum and tested it on various deceased animals, most recently reanimating a euthanized dog. When one among them (Wilde) is electrocuted and dies, the others performs a desperate, unauthorized procedure on her. She indeed rouses from the dead, confused and perhaps dangerous.

There are thinly conceived, wildly halfhearted "ideas" at play here—faith versus science, the enduring impact of childhood trauma—but they are abandoned nearly as soon as they are introduced, and the film degenerates into a tedious parade of generic jolts and neutered-for-a-PG-13 slasher moments. Similar to last year's ludicrous Lucy, the Olivia Wilde character's new supernatural abilities—she can move objects with telekinesis and inspire hallucinations in others—are attributed to her utilizing a far higher percentage of her mind's capacity than the rest of us. (Groan.) Scarlett Johansson became a glamorous, rampaging supercomputer. Wilde becomes a type of standard-issue demon. The hoary storyline builds to an abrupt and corny ending which teases, nay, threatens an improbable sequel.

D

[Bruisermoore]

Originally Posted by Holmes

[Show spoiler]The amorality and danger of restoring life to a corpse is very recognizable ground for fiction, the most beloved example flowing, of course, from the pen of Mary Shelley. The Lazarus Effect, a relatively inexpensive fright film with a more-prestigious-than-expected cast, is a muted and unsatisfying variation on this theme. Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde portray engaged scientists, and their lab partners are Donald Glover, Evan Peters, and a fetching Sarah Bolger. In an expansive and absurdly under-lit university laboratory, the group has developed an astonishing serum and tested it on various deceased animals, most recently reanimating a euthanized dog. When one among them (Wilde) is electrocuted and dies, the others performs a desperate, unauthorized procedure on her. She indeed rouses from the dead, confused and perhaps dangerous.

There are thinly conceived, wildly halfhearted "ideas" at play here—faith versus science, the enduring impact of childhood trauma—but they are abandoned nearly as soon as they are introduced, and the film degenerates into a tedious parade of generic jolts and neutered-for-a-PG-13 slasher moments. Similar to last year's ludicrous Lucy, the Olivia Wilde character's new supernatural abilities—she can move objects with telekinesis and inspire hallucinations in others—are attributed to her utilizing a far higher percentage of her mind's capacity than the rest of us. (Groan.) Scarlett Johansson became a glamorous, rampaging supercomputer. Wilde becomes a type of standard-issue demon. The hoary storyline builds to an abrupt and corny ending which teases, nay, threatens an improbable sequel.

D

Great review! I do like this one a bit more though.

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

I'll reiterate what I said in the box office thread. It's like someone took Pet Sematary, Event Horizon, Flatliners, and Lucy and mixed them in a blender and then took a steaming dump on it.

This is a bad, bad movie. And it since it's PG-13, there isn't even any gratuitous gore or nudity to make it more tolerable. You've been warned.

[Britnasty]

I love Mark Duplass and like Olivia Wilde but this is one of those free rental at the Redbox movies for me.

[L-Rouge]

Originally Posted by Adam_ME

I'll reiterate what I said in the box office thread. It's like someone took Pet Sematary, Event Horizon, Flatliners, and Lucy and mixed them in a blender and then took a steaming dump on it.

This is a bad, bad movie. And since it's PG-13, there isn't even any gratuitous gore or nudity to make it more tolerable. You've been warned.

As I was watching the trailer it did seem to be a mash of these concepts. and I literally named those movies. Olivia does remind me of the eyeless lady from EH!.

[Holmes]

Regarding Event Horizon, this film might as well be set on a spaceship, too. They get up to so much shit in their university lab. I know a bit of lip service is paid to there being a security guard around, but otherwise...

[prozacnation1978]

They could have made this into a great film.
Going into more the depths of hell for each individual and how the serum made them think of it.

Wish they dove more into that.

[MikeScott]

I liked it. There's not much to it and it brings up questions that it doesn't answer, but I thought it was entertaining. Too slight though and I wish they wouldn't have turned Wilde's character into a one-dimensional villain. Should have been longer and more fleshed out. Duplass and Wilde are good and likable leads though. Plus Mark Duplass is really sexy.

7/10 (B-)

[Randall Flagg]

Why are so many horror movies PG-13 nowadays?

[Edword]

Originally Posted by Randall Flagg

Why are so many horror movies PG-13 nowadays?

To potentially make more money at the box office?