CHICAGO – Psychological horror films are the best tweaks, because they remind us of our fears, and where are fears are rooted. The strange combination of science, religion and a blockbuster performance by Olivia Wilde creates an atmosphere of dread and weirdness in “The Lazarus Effect.”
Rating: 4.5/5.0 |
This is also a bit of a spoof, as director David Geib adds the appropriate screaming soundtrack, and the characters – all scientists – are the usual horror film collection of goofballs and naysayers. But the use of death as a scientific phenomenon that could possibly be reversed, is as intriguing as the day Dr. Frankenstein opened his lab. There is also a quick side trip on the question of afterlife and religion, which consecrates a peculiar recurring scene, and it’s frighteningly appropriate to the consequence of the story. Is there stiff acting, a demonic dog and quality kills? Hells yes!
A team of research scientists, Frank (Mark Duplass), Zoe (Olivia Wilde), Clay (Evan Peters) and Niko (Donald Glover) are in the midst of a three year project. The original intent was to find a drug strain that could help emergency room doctors buy some time on dying patients, but it has morphed into a “resurrection” experiment, bringing dead beings back to life.
This variation had been practiced in secret, but Zoe decides to bring in a student videographer named Eva (Sarah Bolger) to record this history. They resurrect a dog first, but immediately suspect there is something awry, as a stimulant drug is causing unusual behavior. When the university and a pharmaceutical company shut the experiment down, a rogue action by the determined team imbues a human with “The Lazarus Effect.”
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