A new trailer for The Lazarus Effect where everyone seems dead inside

February 4th 2015, 8:32pm

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

As Sean mentioned last month, there is certainly a FLATLINERS vibe going on here with THE LAZARUS EFFECT. Not to mention the fact that it looks like a horror-thriller you straight out of the ‘90s; which isn’t a bad thing necessary, but doesn’t always bode well for those looking for something less formulaic. The film has a few rising stars including Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover, Evan Peters and Sarah Bolger playing med students who want to play God. Better yet, let me share the IN-DEPTH synopsis to better explain everyone’s life story (pun intended).

THE LAZARUS EFFECT follows a group of researchers led by Frank (Mark Duplass) and his fiancée Zoe (Olivia Wilde,) who’ve achieved the unimaginable – bringing the dead back to life. After a successful, yet unsanctioned, trial on a newly deceased animal, the team is ready to unveil their breakthrough to the world. When the dean of their university learns of their underground experiments, their project is unexpectedly shut down and their materials confiscated.

Frank, Zoe and their team (Donald Glover, Sarah Bolger and Evan Peters) take matters into their own hands, launching a rogue attempt to recreate their experiment, during which things go terribly wrong and one of their own, Zoe, is horrifically killed. Fueled by terror and grief, Frank pushes them to do the unthinkable: attempt to resurrect their first human test subject.

Initially, the procedure appears a success, but the team soon realizes something is wrong with Zoe. As her strange new persona reveals itself, the team quickly becomes stuck in a gruesome reality. They are no longer faced with the question of whether they can bring someone back to life- but rather, the wrath of her return.

That looks and sounds like some basic horror-by-numbers stuff; each person takes a turn dying until it’s just Frank and Zoe smiling and sitting down happily ever after, forgetting that all their friends are dead. But wait, someone just gave a shit eating grin to the camera and now the credits are playing! The evil something or other is alive! You get the idea, clichés a plenty. Hopefully the cast and visuals make it worth watching, I'll support anything with Olivia Wilde in it.

THE LAZARUS EFFECT hits theaters on February 27, 2015.

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