Review of Flatliners (2017) by Kevin P — 20 Sep 2018

Strengths: There were two things that made me interested in this movie. One was the premise. People stopping their own hearts to unlock parts of their brain that weren't working at full speed before is very cool. The other was the cast. Ellen Page (Courtney Holmes) is almost always good in everything she does, Nina Dobrev (Marlo) is typically great, and Diego Luna (Ray) has been strong in all the roles I know him from. Those three were pretty solid.

Weaknesses: Other than the cast members mentioned, nobody is any good. James Norton (Jamie) has little to no heart in his work here, while Kiersey Clemons (Sophia Manning) disappoints. Even Kiefer Sutherland (Dr. Barry Wolfson) feels like he's just cashing in a check as he reprises his role from the original film. The biggest problem with the movie is that, despite a good setup, it's flat out boring. You'll find yourself wondering how something that's supposed to be scary can be so dull. It just drags on and on. The horror elements feel forced and never hit the mark. The sci-fi stuff worked better than the horror elements and the sci-fi stuff wasn't good either. Though some cast members give fine performances, there's a severe lack of chemistry among most of them. The romances don't click and you're just left wondering why any of these people even hang out.

Overall: There are a handful of talented cast members and a cool setup, yet the movie fails in almost every category. The acting is mediocre, the script is bad, the effects suck, and it's straight up boring. You'll think you've flatlined watching it.