Flatliners
Flatliners

Flatliners

1990Movie115 minEnglish

Five medical students experiment with "near death" experiences, until the dark consequences of past tragedies begin to jeopardize their lives.

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Insights

IMDb6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes52%
Metacritic50/100
Google Users75%
Director: Joel SchumacherGenres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Plot Summary

Five ambitious medical students embark on a dangerous experiment: to briefly stop their hearts and experience what lies beyond death. As they push the boundaries of life and death, they begin to experience terrifying hallucinations and visions from their past, blurring the lines between reality and the afterlife. The consequences of their actions become increasingly severe, forcing them to confront their deepest fears and guilt.

Critical Reception

Flatliners received mixed reviews from critics, who often praised its visual style and ambitious premise but found its plot occasionally convoluted and its characters underdeveloped. Audiences, however, were generally more receptive to its thrilling and thought-provoking nature, making it a moderate box office success.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its stylish visuals and intriguing sci-fi concept.
  • Criticized for a sometimes messy narrative and uneven character development.
  • The film offers a thrilling, albeit flawed, exploration of life, death, and guilt.

Google audience: Audiences generally appreciated the film's suspenseful atmosphere, unique premise, and the performances of its young cast. Some noted that the plot became a bit convoluted as the story progressed, but the overall experience was considered engaging and thought-provoking.

Fun Fact

Kevin Bacon's character, Nelson Wright, is the first student to undergo the experiment. He hallucinates a childhood bully, but later in the film, when other students have their own experiences, they also encounter visions related to their past traumas and guilt.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
kevin2019

kevin2019

"Flatliners" makes for incredibly atmospheric viewing and it has a superb central idea, but like so many other films with superb central ideas it struggles with the challenge of doing something innovative or significant with it. After all, ...
Alunauwie

Alunauwie

Flatliners presents a compelling concept about exploring life after death through risky medical experiments conducted by five ambitious students. The film unfolds with a strong character build-up and escalating tension as supernatural conse...
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwin...

Stop for a minute and contemplate the fact that Joel Schumacher made this when he was channeling Joel Schumacher and it actually turned out to be a good, compelling, and frightening film. How the heck did that happen? I mean, sure, th...
John Chard

John Chard

The arrogance of medicinally inclined youth! I remember coming out the theatre after having seen Flatliners in 1990 and being really annoyed. The premise of the story is so superb and was ripe for a terrifying horror film, but Flatliners...