{"id":3321,"date":"2017-10-01T16:06:44","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T06:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=3321"},"modified":"2017-10-01T15:09:56","modified_gmt":"2017-10-01T05:09:56","slug":"flatliners-movie-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/flatliners-movie-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Flatliners – movie review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Death becomes her. That\u2019s a rather facetious reference to what kicks off the key character\u2019s journey in this dramatic sci-fi horror \u2013 a re-imagining of the 1990 film of the same name.<\/p>\n

Five medical students are obsessed by the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life. They decide to undertake a daring and dangerous experiment.\u00a0By stopping their hearts for short periods, each triggers a near-death experience \u2013 giving them a taste of the afterlife.<\/p>\n

\"\"Flatliners<\/em> begins with one medico in training \u2013 who has her own carefully guarded motivations \u2013 convincing her colleagues to embark on this treacherous journey with her.\u00a0What could convince anyone to try something so dangerous? What else, but the promise of groundbreaking \u2013 and fame-making \u2013 results. For the initial burst of energy and seeming supercharging of their brains, those that experiment are each confronted by the sins of their pasts, brought on by the paranormal consequences of trespassing to the other side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all want to know what happens when we die, but some things are clearly best left unknown,\u201d says Laurence Mark, one of Flatliners producers.\u00a0Director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo<\/em>) says the students are trying to shortcut themselves to greatness, but there is a high price to be paid for doing that.<\/p>\n

From recollection, because it has been 27 years since I saw the original, the storyline is very similar \u2026 and, I should say, it remains \u2013 in large part \u2013 just as intriguing.\u00a0The five characters each have distinct personalities and we find out more about the four who actually try \u201cflatlining\u201d \u2013 that is, those who kill themselves for the so-called benefits it will bring them once they are revived \u2013 over time.<\/p>\n

Naturally, though, it is the negatives \u2013 like the apparitions that start appearing \u2013 that become all consuming.<\/p>\n