Customer Reviews

Flatliners

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I never had the pleasure of seeing this film on the "big screen" which is a shame, as it is often visually stunning, but I have revisited it on video numerous times over the years, enjoying it immensely every time. It definitely is on my personal list of favorite movies, and for more than just starring Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon, two of my "actors to watch."

Perhaps I appreciate this film so much because it appeals to my slightly off-kilter taste in entertainment. I like my movies a bit left of center - unpredictable and fresh. And whether or not you "believe" the story line of the film, you have to admit, it is different!

Everyone has different tastes and opinions, but my impression of some of the negative reviews of this movie is that the viewers never really saw past the surface level of this film. They got caught up in technicalities, "Why would there be green lighting in a subway?" or "Why would medical students pull such a stupid stunt?" and failed to see the artistry and psychological depth of the piece.

Yes, there are some medical and technical aspects that do not make logical sense, but if you are willing to suspend disbelief just a tad, this can be a very engaging film.

First, a note about the artistic quality of the movie. Some have complained about the murky lighting, and the illogical nature of the sets - but for me, the use of innovating lighting techniques, the plastic and sheet draped sets, the unusual settings in old buildings and dank, dripping tunnels, the use of statuary, rain and billowing curtains - all add a poetic flavor to this film, a haunting beauty that suits the dark nature of the questions being asked about life, death and forgiveness.

I will focus on just two examples; in an alley scene, a change in lighting allows for certain elements of the set to come dramatically into focus, then to fade away once lighting returns to normal. It is an innovative means of conveying a shift in the "reality" of the moment, and works beautifully. We are also allowed to see the interior of the character's apartments - contrast the warm wood, bright colors, golden lighting and cluttered comfort of Labraccio's rooms with the stark, white void of Nelson's. Both are reflective of the characters themselves. Nelson's lack of "objects" reflect our lack of knowledge about his past... and his carefully constructed mask that keeps his companions at a distance. His past, we come to learn, is one of chaos and conflict. He has determined to leave that behind in favor of an uncluttered emptiness... unfortunately, the emptiness is also reflective of his relationships with others, a realization he comes to along his personal journey of self-discovery in this film.

Flatliners is not your typical horror film. Nor is a typical drama or suspense movie...it is rather more of an amalgamation of all, having the best elements of all genres intertwined in a complex, suspenseful plot.

This is an ensemble piece, and the cast does an excellent job of breathing life into their individual characters. Your immediate impression is that the characters are each representative of a well-established "stereotype": The female ice queen, the slightly neurotic `physician", the playboy and the socially conscious "nice guy" etc. However, as the film progresses and the characters are further fleshed out, they take on multiple dimensions and depth.

Most interesting of all is Sutherland's character of Nelson. Nelson is not a character that is easy to like - indeed he is a bit of a (...), a master manipulator who definitely places self-interest above all else. Yet, Sutherland plays him with a hint of insecurity that lends him a certain appeal. As events unfold, you come to realize that much of Nelson's unpleasant personality is a smokescreen, a protective mask behind which hides a very uncertain and vulnerable young man burdened by a terrible secret.

By revealing bits and pieces of Nelson's complex personality throughout the film, the writers, directors and cast gradually lead you towards a greater understanding of and sympathy for him. The character who started out as a "jerk" becomes important and valued in his own right - as you learn to "forgive" his previous behavior in light of new information. Your journey of discovery with Nelson reflects the characters own journeys towards self-understanding, as they too come to realize that everyone has value, and "everything we do matters."

Which leads to my final comment. Although many of the posters here have picked up upon the theme of defying death - few seem to have touched upon what I see as the main premise of the movie - the importance of forgiveness, and the need to be cognizant of all you do, because it does "matter."

I actually got to read the original screenplay of THE FLATLINERS just after the deal was made to make the movie. I read it and was blown away. It was awesome.
(I keep checking the screenplay websites to see if the original draft by Peter Filardi gets out but I haven't seen it yet).

A year later, I went to see the movie. Do the initials "WTF" mean anything to you?

About halfway through, I wondered what was going wrong. "I don't remember reading THAT." By the end, I couldn't believe what I was seeing: an incredible screenplay had been completely destroyed.

I went to the folks who'd slipped me the script and asked what in the world happened to FLATLINERS. They were as bummed out as I was.

Apparently, Joel Shumacher didn't like the spiritual aspects of the script. So he threw them out. Let me repeat that: he made a movie about the afterlife--and threw out the spiritual aspects of it. That's like making a musical and deciding that nobody would want to hear all that singing.

Then one of the stars became a Big Star going into production. Her people said, "She's a Big Star now and she can't do anything wrong."
I could just imagine someone with a brain asking, "But the premise of the film is that everyone has done something wrong and it comes back to haunt them."
"No. You don't understand. She's a Big Star and nobody wants to see her do anything wrong...and she won't."
So they butchered the script to satisfy the Big Star.

The heroin-addicted Vietnam Vet Daddy sequence replaced an exciting subplot of a professor wrongly accused of sexual harassment who killed himself and comes back to haunt the female lead. The ending was great, tying up every strand and leaving on a high note for the survivors. GONE.

I actually read an article in Fangoria (or maybe it was Starlog) where Joel Shumacher brags--BRAGS--about their ghastly butchering of the original script by himself and the Big Star Who Can't Do Anything Wrong.

For those of you who wonder why movies are so bad: THIS is how that happens.
Peter, I feel for you buddy. You wrote a five-star script.

Flatliners is a remarkably audacious, wildly original exploration of one of the taboo topics of science and religion. Like Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ, this film cannot be considered an all-time classic due to a highly opinionated viewpoint that may deeply offend some viewers. However, as far as direction, acting and suspense are concerned, few films rival Flatliners in its all-around splendor. Underneath a deceptively linear and seemingly simplistic script, there is much symbolism and underlying subtlety to be found in Schumacher's brilliant vision. Unlike the roller-coaster scenes of The Lost Boys that never materialize to be anything more than a misplaced piece of high-style imagery, the eerie, sometimes sacrilegious images that are thrown into the plot of Flatliners in a seemingly random fashion (the statues observed by the main character in the beginning, the merciless display of surgical operations) serve their purpose in implying the motivations and internal conflicts of the characters. Charged with alternatingly surprising and desperately predictable scenes, Flatliners is an exciting experience that will either frighten you or fascinate you but definitely will not leave anyone indifferent.

Honestly I never heard of this movie until a few months ago. I am a pretty big fan of Keifer Sutherland and some of his movies and of course his tv show 24. So about a month ago I blindly bought this movie just for the hell of it. The Flatliners stars Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, one of the Baldwins, and of course Keifer.

The Flatliners itself is a pretty cool movie with a different concept than those in its genre. It deals with young medical students experimenting to find out if there is an afterlife. Once they come back from the afterlife they are haunted by the other side.

This is one of the ultimate "Do not do this at home" movies. Although after I saw it I couldn't help from asking my friends "How much money would you do it for", lol. I bet one you see this you will be asking your friends.

One area where it is lacking though is the DVD itself is lacking any kind of special features, interactive menus, and a decently layed out chapter selection. In all honestly the movie is pretty good but the DVD is terrible compared to other newer DVDs. To me things like that make a difference. The fact that it is cheap makes up for it though.

I think if you enjoyed movies such as Stir of Echoes, The Sixth Sense, Vanilla Sky, or even the Mothman Prophies (underrated movie) you probably will enjoy this movie. At times it is dark and sorta twisted but it always stays on track and never bores you. Definetly check this movie out if you are a fan of Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon or Julia Roberts because they all shine in this movie.

Movie grade - B+
DVD Grade - D-

Joel Shumacher royally screwed up the entire 'Batman' franchise, whereas his earlier works, such as the Grisham adaptions and this frightening flick 'Flatliners,' remain some of my favorites. He works well here with the awesome plot and the great actors, and has a hell of a time as any viewer can easily see in creating an eerie depth to his film, but where 'Flatliners' tends to fall short after every viewing is the ending, which turns a nearly remarkable film into a satisfying emotional flick. However, the fault lies with the screenwriter, and not Shumacher, which makes 'Flatliners' one of his best films, next to the wonderful adaption of Grisham's 'A Time To Kill' with Sandra Bullock.

So what's wrong with the ending? Well, it takes a wonderfully inventive story and turns it around, much like 'The Sixth Sense' did, into an emotional drama. This type of 'horror-drama' thing worked for 'The Sixth Sense' with perfect clarity. However, this technique comes up empty-handed in 'Flatliners,' missing the perfect blend '6 Sense' had and creating an ending that just simply didn't seem to fit. However, this film succeeds in all other areas, especially that of acting.

Keifer Sutherland has rarely been better than he is here, with his witty evil look and the ominous way he portrays himself onscreen. Julia Roberts is stunning and very emotionally moving in her role, and tends to be one of the most memorable characters, next to Sutherland. Kevin Bacon does an average performance, and William Baldwin - well, although he simply can't act, he does his damndest here, which is good enough for me. Oliver Platt is humorous, as always, while adding depth to a co-starring character in some respects, although at times he seems out-of-place here.

Overall, I enjoyed this film. It scared the bejeepers out of me, and made me cry at the end, which in itself felt odd and out-of-place, but that's okay. It makes you think, and it's doubtful you'll forget the unforgettable story or the superb acting by the three title characters, Sutherland, Roberts, and Bacon. And it raises a very intersting question and, in my opinion, answers it quite well...

what happens in life after death?

and, more importantly, what happens after you've come back from the dead?

This is a really good movie with a great message and the acting is superb, almost everyone in this movie when on to become stars... I don't know why it doesn't get higher ratings by critics and reviewers, because its definitely in my top 20 for best movies....however the blu ray transfer is terrible it is really no better than the DVD version so if you already have this movie on DVD don't bother getting the Blu ray because it really isn't any better also if you can get the DVD for a better price than the blu ray get the movie on DVD....the blu ray is not worth the extra price.

I bought this movie recently when I saw it at a store, and realized it was a Julia Roberts film I actually had never heard of. I own many of her movies, and since she and Kiefer Sutherland are two of my favorite actors, I decided to give it a shot.
The first thing that grabs you about this movie is the suspense. Come on, medical students experiencing clinical death (Flatlining) and trying to come back is not a very serene situation to begin with. But when they outbid each other for length of time when deciding who gets to go next, even the viewer begins saying to his/herself "oh, God, don't let him die!!" (I did anyway). With each gorgeous young actor wanting to be dead longer than the previous, it really puts you at the edge of your seat. As if this weren't enough, all these people that "died" and came back begin being haunted by their past sins and misdeeds, and are mentally, even physically, harmed by them.
This movie features Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Julia Roberts, Billy Baldwin and Oliver Platt in much younger, and more dangerous, roles than I've seen most of them play. It's a great movie for a younger audience, and probably only for people with a more open mind to horror and death. A last note: Kiefer Sutherland has a great first line.

Although 'Flatliners' is certainly not spectacular it's definitely a movie to watch, if only for its bright young before-they-were-famous cast. The movie has Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Alec Baldwin and Kiefer Sutherland as university students that can bring a person to the point of death and then bring them back to life so that they can describe their near-death experience. This is without doubt an intriguing premise and the movie does well to focus on the horrific hallucinations that the group experience rather than on the religious connotations. Whether it's Kevin Bacon seeing a small child singing to him on the subway or whether it's another kid with a baseball bat, the theme of the past coming back to haunt you is well evoked and genuinely creepy at times. The near death experiences themselves are also visually arresting.

However, this could have been done better, and there are several holes in its plot such as the innocence of children and whether they really deserve to be haunted by what they did when they were younger. Plus the fantastic cast can all be remembered in better roles, especially Kevin Bacon, who is outstanding with whatever role he's given. Still, 'Flatliners' is entertaining enough when it resides in horror, and if it's placed in this genre then it's relatively intelligent.

An avant-garage group of medical students experiment upon themselves to indulge in an intriguing theory. Nothing like a near death experience so they say to kickstart the ongoing monotony of ones daily grind. Well these students prove that and more. If only their professors could see them now. This is definitely living life on the edge. Led by the manic Nelson played appropriately by Kiefer Sutherland and Rachel, a very tense but competent Julia Roberts this disparate group decide to go further where no man or woman has gone before, and returned to tell the tale. Each of the main characters submits and goes under, and returns safely to tell there own astonishing experience. Alone however each person discovers one startling side effect of their journey into the unknown. Enough said.

Intriguing is the only word I can find to describe this synopsis. What it would be like to see the other side. I personally am willing to wait years for the experience which will probably come to us all. Schumachers medical school must have the gloomiest study halls in america complete with gargoyles and dimly lit lecture theatres. The whole plot I decided was not entirely implausible which is why it worked for me. I was also touched by the redemption scene between Winnie and David. Wouldnt we all live our lives differently if we could see the results of some of our actions. But in the end it is a cautionary tale of how our sins do sometimes catch up with us. But not like this...so please kids, dont try this at home.

When the moon is high, and an unsettling breeze creeps through the alley behind my house, I sit dazed, my head floating as if in a dream as I lay watching FLATLINERS, one of my all-time favorite movies. It's a very mesmorising movie to watch. From it's creepy soundtrack, to the unusual way it is filmed. Definately a leader in it's genre. Other films I recommend are THE CROW, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (The Original), FRIGHT NIGHT, and THE LOST BOYS.