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[Review] ‘The Lazarus Effect’ Offers Fresh Take on Well-Worn Territory

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At one point in The Lazarus Effect, Evan Peters (playing the lab’s resident stoner), does his best Dr. Frankenstein impression. “It’s alive!” he says, looking into the eyes of a dog his colleagues have managed to resurrect from the dead. Following this homage, David “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” Gelb’s new film contains elements we’ve seen before in films like Flatliners, Altered States, and Pet Sematary and patches them together into his own type of monster.

Populated with a hip cast that fully commit to their roles, Lazarus Effect follows a group of scientists who’ve discovered a serum that brings the dead back to life. Led by Mark Duplass and Olivia Wilde, the team (that also includes Donald Glover and Sarah Bolger) go through various trial runs with animals. Their ultimate goal isn’t to technically resurrect the dead. They only wish to give doctors “more time” when treating coma patients whose hearts have stopped.

Gelb captures their trial experiments on pigs and dogs in disconcerting, extreme close-ups. After a few hiccups they reach a breakthrough, which opens the doors for the film’s discussion of morality and faith. Who the hell are they to raise the dead? And how dare an 80 minute horror movie starring Olivia Wilde address themes like Catholic guilt, the hereafter, and the morality of playing god!

But Gelb’s film does, which is one of reasons it’s so great. He’s got some heady ideas laid out on the screen here and the fact that he’s chosen horror as his philosophical outlet is great. The problem is that there’s so much he has to get across in 80 minutes that nothing is deeply explored.

The prime example is Olivia Wilde’s faith. Her character, Zoe suffered a traumatic experience at a young age that has crippled her with guilt ever since. Through trippy dream sequences we learn a bit about the event, but never enough that it gives the story much weight. The climax relies heavily on our investment in this event and Zoe’s troubled faith, but I never felt like the story brought me to that point where it had an effect on me. The whole final hour of horror is executed very well (with one top notch kill), though it does follow many conventional routes. For Gelb to jump from the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi to this film shows immense talent. It just didn’t transcend beyond a bunch of cool visuals, which considering the themes addressed, I’m sure it was meant to.

As you probably guessed by the trailer, Zoe winds up dead at one point and the team brings her back to life with the serum. What follows is one long night of hell in which Wilde transforms into one terrifying S.O.B. She absolutely nails Zoe’s shift from scientist to force of nature. It’s a helluva performance to watch. The rest of the cast is phenomenal as well, with Glover breaking out of his comedic mold and Duplass anchoring the entire cast.

The Lazarus Effect, despite its lack of impact and rushed themes, is a great film that proves even well-worn territory can feel fresh if it’s well-executed.

Patrick writes stuff about stuff for Bloody and Collider. His fiction has appeared in ThugLit, Shotgun Honey, Flash Fiction Magazine, and your mother's will. He'll have a ginger ale, thanks.

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‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Adds “Chucky” Actor Teo Briones and More to Lead Cast

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Chucky Actor Teo Briones
Pictured: Teo Briones in "Chucky" Season Two

The Final Destination franchise is returning to life with Final Destination: Bloodlines. With filming now underway, THR reports that three actors have joined the lead cast, including “Chucky” actor Teo Briones.

Brec Bassinger (“Stargirl”) and Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game) join Teo Briones, who played Junior Wheeler in season two of “Chucky,” as the leads in the sixth installment of the horror franchise.

Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein (Freaks) are directing the fresh installment that also includes Richard Harmon (“The 100”, Grave Encounters 2), Anna Lore, Owen Patrick Joyner, Max Lloyd-Jones (The Book Of Boba Fett), Rya Kihlstedt (Obi Wan Kenobi), and Tinpo Lee (The Manor) among the cast.

Production is now underway in Vancouver.

What can we expect from the upcoming Final Destination 6? Speaking with Collider, franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick offered up an intriguing (and mysterious) tease last year.

“This film dives into the film in such a unique way that it attacks it from a different angle so you don’t feel like, ‘Oh, there’s an amazing setup and then there’s gonna be one wrinkle that can potentially save you all that you have to kind of make a moral choice about or do to solve it.’ There’s an expansion of the universe that – I’m being so careful,” Reddick teased.

Reddick continued, “It kind of unearths a whole deep layer to the story that kind of, yes, makes it really, really interesting.”

Final Destination: Bloodlines is written by Lori Evans Taylor (“Wicked Wicked Games”) and Guy Busick (Scream), with Jon Watts (Spider-Man: No Way Home) producing.

Producers on the new movie for New Line Cinema also include Dianne McGunigle (Cop Car) as well as Final Destination producers Craig Perry and Sheila Hanahan Taylor.

This will be the sixth installment in the hit franchise, and the first in over ten years. Each film centers on “Death” hunting down young friends who survive a mass casualty event.

The latest entry is expected in 2025, coinciding with the original film’s 25th anniversary.

 

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