Review of Flatliners (1990) by Laurie M — 12 Jan 2010

Good cast of well-known actors in their earlier years. Medical students risk "permanent" death by "going under" temporarily in hopes of solving one of Life's "big mysteries" - what is there after death? What happens with each, though, is a re-experiencing of personal and traumatic childhood memories, especially those of which they are not so proud.

Being medical students, they cover all this up with vague talk about transcendent experiences and scientific breakthroughs - as if their personal experiences applied to everything always. When they finally admit what really happened, to each other, they start arguing about doing more "research," and obsess about being haunted by their sins, before simple ideas such as redemption and forgiveness cross their minds - or at least one of their minds.

You'd think they might have heard of therapy? Aside from the slightly silly, overinflated ideas about what they're doing (made believable perhaps because they are, after all, young medical students), the movie is interesting enough and the characters believable enough to make the movie exciting, entertaining, and even mildly thought-provoking.