Flatliners (1990)

One of the first things to notice about “Flatliners” is how this is a movie that is little remembered 10 years after it release despite boasting a fair number of recognisable names - Julia Robert, Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland as well as director Joel Schumacher. It would be easy to assume that this implied “Flatliners” was a poor movie, but this is not the case. While it’s not brilliant and some things could have been handled better it’s a perfectly competent movie with some interesting ideas.

The basic idea is an intriguing one - five medical students (including Robert, Bacon and Sutherland as well as William Baldwin) decide to conduct an experiment into near-death experiences using themselves as subjects. First they kill themselves, under carefully controlled conditions, then are resuscitated after a couple of minutes to tell of their experiences. Initially things seem to go well but then some of the students start experiencing visions relating to occurrences in their past they are ashamed of, visions which in some cases eventually turn violent with real physical effects.

The premise is quite intelligent (if fanciful) and allows for a lot of thought on subjects like the nature of life after death but it never loses sight of the fact this film is meant to entertain as well. The actors convincingly portray the discomfort that must be felt at the visions and the difficult emotional circumstances are well portrayed.

Unfortunately the direction is a bit clumsy. Schumacher seems to be aiming for a dark and gloomy atmosphere so the experiments and the hospital they work in are always poorly lit and for most of the film it seems to be raining outside. Such effects - particularly the vaguely sinister hall they do the experiments in - seem a bit too contrived, it’s difficult to believe they’d chose such an unsuitable venue for such delicate medical procedures.

Although the film has interesting ideas, somehow it just falls short of being a great film. The students are just a bit too adventurous and the visions are just a bit too obviously plot devices. There’s still enough here of interest to make this film worth watching.

Rating : 7 / 10

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All content ©2003 William Marnoch.

Comments? Agree/Disagree with the Reviews? Suggestions? Random Ramblings? Whatever you might want to say, feel free to e-mail me at william@wmarnoch.freeserve.co.uk .