Score: 1.5/5
“The Lazarus Effect” is a mixture of “Carrie,” “Lucy” and “Pet Sematary,” but fails to deliver a picture as intriguing as that sounds.
It falls short of bringing a thrill to viewers, leaving me feeling like I needed to be brought back from the dead after getting lost in the twisting plot line.
It starts out like most movies involving a resurrection — some medical students, who are truly passionate about their work, get carried away the moment a significant discovery is made.
For the past three years the research team, composed of Mark Duplass, Olivia Wilde, Donald Glover, Evan Peters and Sarah Bolger, have worked closely on a serum that could possibly restore brain function to deceased organisms, hoping to drastically change the world of medicine.
It is successful on a dog that was put down for having late-stage cataracts. However, the students notice that the dog, which they name Rocky, does not return to normal after being brought back. The cataracts also disappeared.
The serum, which was supposed to dissipate after a few hours, remained in the bloodstream and caused side effects of extreme aggression and confusion.
Later, the team finds out their research has been confiscated by a large corporation and decides to break into the lab and duplicate the experiment in order to ensure they receive proper credit for their work.
While attempting to resuscitate another dog, Olivia Wilde’s character, Zoe, dies after being electrocuted from pulling the switch because she left her engagement ring on.
Mark Duplass’s character, Frank, (Zoe’s fiance) in a moment of anguish, decides to perform the experiment on her and guilts the rest of the team into participating.
Of course, she comes back, but like Rocky she does not return to normal consciousness. She can now hear thoughts and exhibits telekinesis, among other powers.
The ensuing plot twists make the movie painful to watch, even though it’s a fairly short film. The worst part about it is the ending, which set the film up for a sequel.
Overall, the movie was a genuine disappointment. The cast was overqualified for their respective parts, but there was a lack of coherence in the plotline.
“The Lazarus Effect” has no thrilling effect on the audience, and I suggest saving your $10 for something else.