Read Mixed User Reviews for The Lazarus Effect

6

quincytheodoreMay 11, 2015

Olivia Wilde breathes life to a predictable premise. With a title like The Lazarus Effect, audience would know what to expect and the movie doesn't disappoint in this regard. It dabbles in resurrection theme, moral ambiguity and the usualOlivia Wilde breathes life to a predictable premise. With a title like The Lazarus Effect, audience would know what to expect and the movie doesn't disappoint in this regard. It dabbles in resurrection theme, moral ambiguity and the usual possession angle. It's not even presented in large scale or big budget, but what separates the movie with the rest are the performance of the actors, especially Olivia Wilde, and its modest yet effective presentation.

A group of scientists stumble upon the serum which can prolong life. However, the result is not exactly what they expect and to make matter worse the university plucks their funding after some moral issue. Desperate to reclaim their experiment, they try to salvage it only to end up in much sinister situation. Fans of the genre might recognize the typical plot point here. The movie happens almost exclusively in the small confine of the laboratory and it makes the best of it.

Mark Duplass as Frank is the lead male, he's pretty invested in this endeavor even to the point of illegality. Duplass gives convincing portrayal of ambitious doctor while also delivers a few intrusive perverse thoughts. The cast is relatively small and they perform capably. The supporting characters offer consistent personalities, but the material could've explored them more.

Olivia Wilde carries the movie beyond what expected from it, simply by giving wide range of emotions to the character. She begins as a stressed doctor and wife, then delves further into deep-rooted negativity. At one point she looks like a frightened victim and the next she turns remorselessly savage with a hint of seductive glare. This constant change could implore sympathy yet also eerily creepy.

The scares are mostly all right, though some predictable jump scares are still shoehorned in. Cinematography keeps a steady contrast between light and dark, occasionally painting the scenes with vivid color for more psychological trip. Some of the horror is on point, but few admittedly miss the suspense it has already set with pedestrian gore.

While The Lazarus Effect doesn't create novel view, Wilde's capable lead ushers it into the realm of above average horror.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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6

horcrux2007Feb 28, 2015

This movie promises the audience very little, and it delivers the good mildly well. What drew me to this film was the very limited scope (the whole plot takes place in one laboratory) and the interesting cast. Olivia Wilde was definitely theThis movie promises the audience very little, and it delivers the good mildly well. What drew me to this film was the very limited scope (the whole plot takes place in one laboratory) and the interesting cast. Olivia Wilde was definitely the strongest aspect of the movie, and she made this so much better than it could have been. Wilde gave a subtle and very unsettling performance to make her character very memorable. Sarah Bolger was another strong part of the cast, and she gave it her all when her character is being stalked by a demonic Olivia Wilde. The rest of the actors were decent yet forgettable. This movie has a lot of great ideas, but there wasn't any room for any of those ideas to fully develop themselves due to the criminally short 83 minute running time. Had the movie been about 15 minutes longer, those themes could have been developed better. There is a twist at the end of the movie that does explain a few of the more questionable plot points. I jumped a few times, I cringed a few times, and I rolled my eyes a few times, but the Lazarus Effect does its job in a decently creepy yet forgettable fashion.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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5

TheQuietGamerOct 23, 2015

Some good ideas are present, but it never capitalizes on them. It touches on elements of religion vs. science and what exactly qualifies as "crossing the line." These elements are unfortunately ditched in favor of generic horror that reallySome good ideas are present, but it never capitalizes on them. It touches on elements of religion vs. science and what exactly qualifies as "crossing the line." These elements are unfortunately ditched in favor of generic horror that really isn't scary. The typical attempts at fear are here, but it's really just a boring film.

The one strength the film keeps throughout is it's great cast. The performances are fantastic and they feel like believable characters. Their interactions are really incredible, and the moments of humor between them (that obviously take place before it tries to get scary) feel genuine. I mean, don't get me wrong I still really didn't give a crap about them. The characters aren't fleshed out and are therefore nothing more than just bodies to add to the pile. Even with that though, it's a joy to watch the actors do so well. They elevate the movie into something watchable as opposed to the straight up awfulness it would have been without them.

Still, even with the fantastic performances it doesn't change the fact that this is a boring and completely non-scary horror movie. I appreciate that the movie didn't go full possession flick like it could have. They make it very clear that it is the character returning, only this time changed due to resurrection. It doesn't really help the movie at all in the scare department, but it makes elements of the plot a little more interesting.

To be honest the story is pretty cool. Yeah, it ditches the philosophical questions early on in favor of poor attempts at scaring you, but I was interested in what was happening at the time. Even if it was boring as crap thanks to a lack of tension or a creepy atmosphere. Turns out simply giving Olivia Wilde completely black eyes while having her stand in the dark and occasionally pop out at us isn't scary. Who would've thought.

Simply put, "The Lazarus Effect" has some interesting stuff going that is brought down by some really boring horror. It could have been something smart and interesting, but instead went with trying to be scary and failed miserably at it. The deeper elements are present and can be seen for the briefest amounts of time. It's just a shame the overall movie didn't use them more. What we have here is a boring horror flick without anything scary going on. That makes it a mediocre film perfectly worth skipping.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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6

LeZeeNov 4, 2017

The stimulated brain terrorising!

Actually, this film was made before 'Lucy', but released after that. So I first saw that and now this. Basically, these two films are similar thematic, except the genres are different. I liked Scarlett'sThe stimulated brain terrorising!

Actually, this film was made before 'Lucy', but released after that. So I first saw that and now this. Basically, these two films are similar thematic, except the genres are different. I liked Scarlett's film, a very much enjoyable. This film too looked nice, and watching it after that makes to understand it better. I meant scientifically, rather than a supernatural way. So what's extra in this was the usual horror film style jumpy scenes, with loud and sudden sounds.

Limited cast, and one day event based film. Not a bad writing or the direction and performances. The settings were perfect, and the film did not require strong graphics. The story followed a small medical researcher team who is working on a serum that brings the dead back to life. When their entire work was ceased by the company they were working for, they decide to recreate everything to prove its theirs. Then something goes wrong, following a series of destruction before it all ends.

Like I said, it was more a science-fictional thriller than your regular horror film. But it borrowed the same style to present on the screen. The events are simple to understand, except that scientific thing. Because there won't be any difference for those who are weak in basic science. It'll be another normal boring horror flick. For me, it's an average film, watchable for once being short and well paced narration.

6/10… Expand