Generally, horror films concentrate on environment as an alternative of getting in-your-face scares or buckets of gore. Whereas that does not make them any much less a part of the horror style, there is a particular distinction. A terrific comparability between the 2 could be present in director Joel Schumacher’s filmography; The Lost Boys leans into the graphic horror of facing off against vampires, whereas his subsequent enterprise into the horror style, Flatliners, is rather more atmospheric and fewer specific. The film stars Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Olivia Platt, and William Baldwin as medical college students who threat demise to study concerning the afterlife.
It takes the same old trappings of a ghost story and turns them on their head. As a substitute of investigating what occurs after we die, Flatliners is extra excited by how our actions whereas we’re alive have a long-lasting affect on us. Critics had been initially skeptical about whether or not this was the fitting route to take such an attention-grabbing idea of life and demise. T he film is now a minor cult favourite amongst horror followers as a consequence of its solid of heartthrobs and sweethearts of the ’80s and ’90s and its creepy Gothic vibe.
The Solid of ‘Flatliners’ Is A Large A part of Its Draw
In Flatliners, 5 associates in medical faculty conduct an experiment to see what’s on “the opposite aspect,” i.e., they wish to catch a glimpse of the afterlife and report again to the dwelling. So as to take action, they deliberately cease their hearts – or flatline – for a brief time period (starting with a minute) earlier than the others resuscitate them. The primary particular person to aim the experiment, Nelson (Sutherland), sees a young boy he bullied as a child, and three of the others see equally unusual issues once they comply with swimsuit. Though the film sometimes stumbles to comprehend the total potential of this excessive idea, it’s the chemistry between the solid that basically sells the entire thing.
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By no means develop outdated. By no means die. By no means get a correct sequel?
First off, three members of the core group had been already field workplace attracts from the ’80s and would proceed to be vastly profitable all through the ’90s. Sutherland was hot off of The Lost Boys, Roberts had simply been nominated for an Oscar for Metal Magnolias, and Bacon was transitioning from his easy Footloose persona to the charismatic redneck character in Tremors. Briefly, these had been all extraordinarily charming (and really engaging) actors everybody already knew and beloved. And they all play off each other well in Flatliners, even when their characters are at odds.
When the group argues concerning the penalties of flatlining, Sutherland exudes the “dangerous boy” vitality he had in The Misplaced Boys and Stand By Me; he ratchets up the depth by getting proper within the face of Julia Roberts’ Rachel, who doesn’t again down. Curiously, Kevin Bacon’s David manages to defend Rachel whereas nonetheless feeling like he has a robust reference to Nelson; as an alternative of getting in Nelson’s face to intimidate him, he does it to attraction to Nelson’s good aspect, matching Sutherland’s depth with out the anger. It’s a terrific scene that basically showcases the facility of those three actors particularly. Actually, the chemistry between Julia Roberts and Kiefer Sutherland occurred offscreen as nicely, though in a extra optimistic manner; the two started dating during filming and ended up engaged, though they finally broke issues off.
Joel Schumacher Gave ‘Flatliners’ a Surreal, Gothic Look
Joel Schumacher has a aptitude for visible design – just check out his two Batman films. Whereas these go very excessive and have a whole lot of neon colours, Flatliners is barely extra subdued, although it nonetheless options hanging set designs and effectively moody lighting. The film shifts between intense orange and blue tones; orange is usually optimistic, like throughout Julia Roberts’ closing scene along with her father, whereas blue signifies hazard or negativity; a lot of the flatlining scenes are saturated in blue gentle. And the characters carry out their experiments inside a cathedral in the midst of renovations. It could be an impractical spot for a medical experiment, however the Gothic structure and shadowy scaffoldings do give the movie a strikingly surreal look. The truth that David (Kevin Bacon) flatlines on Halloween evening whereas individuals dance in costumes round a raucous bonfire outdoors additionally helps exaggerate the strangeness of the film’s occasions.
Schumacher persistently shoots his scenes with an emphasis on fashion and emotion fairly than realism, which can be why Flatliners nonetheless has devoted followers. It obtained a stand-alone sequel/reboot in 2017, though it didn’t resonate almost as a lot with followers and faced even worse judgment from critics than its predecessor. The reboot could have missed the mark, however at the least the unusual spark of the unique Flatliners nonetheless holds sturdy. It will not be as ghostly as you’d anticipate, contemplating its premise, however if you happen to’re craving moody visuals and a nostalgic solid, Flatliners will certainly scratch that itch.
- Launch Date
- August 10, 1990
- Solid
- Kiefer Sutherland , Julia Roberts , Kevin Bacon , William Baldwin , Oliver Platt , Kimberly Scott , Joshua Rudoy , Benjamin Mouton , Aeryk Egan , Kesha Reed , Hope Davis , Jim Ortlieb , John Duda , Megan Stewart , Tressa Thomas , Sanna Vraa , Beth Grant , Marilyn Dodds Frank , Patricia Belcher , Deborah Thompson Duda , Julie Warner , Gonzo Gonzalez , Afram Invoice Williams , Elinore O’Connell , Nicole Niblack
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
Flatliners is now streaming within the U.S. on Paramount+.
