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Film Thoughts: Flatliners (2017)

I have mixed feelings on what to write about this film, but I'm going to write about it, anyway.



A medical student, Courtney (Ellen Page), is obsessed with the idea of the afterlife, wanting to find out what happens after death. She invites fellow students Jamie (James Norton) and Sophia (Kiersey Clemons) to join her in an experiment, in an unused hospital room: using defibrillation to stop her heart for sixty seconds whilst recording her brain, and then reviving her. She assures them they would not be held responsible for any accidents. Sophia is against this, but Jamie does it anyway. After sixty seconds, they panic as they are unable to revive her, but eventually manage to with the help of Ray (Diego Luna). Later, Marlo (Nina Dobrev) arrives and learns of the experiment.

Initially Courtney begins to recall memories of past events such as her grandmother's recipe for bread. Courtney experiences increased intelligence and euphoria, being suddenly able to play the piano after 12 years and answer questions in class perfectly. Envious, Jamie flatlines, but has a disturbing near death experience as he meets his ex girlfriend. Courtney and Jamie start seeing visions, but do not tell the others. Marlo and Sophia follow suit and flatline, for an increasing number of minutes. They experience similar positive results as Courtney.

It soon turns into a living horror as those who flatlined find themselves haunted down by visions: Courtney is haunted by her dead sister Tessa, from a car crash she caused because she was using her phone. Jamie, by the baby of his ex-girlfriend he got pregnant and begged into getting an abortion. Marlo by a man named Cyrus (who was stung by jellyfish) whom she killed when she unintentionally mixed up his medication, and Sophia by a girl named Irina whose life she ruined out of jealousy by hacking her phone and sending out her nudes to make sure she was valedictorian. They realise there is a downside to flatlining.

Okay, let's stop there because I'm going to spoil everything at this point.

Because up to this point, I'm anxious as hell. It became a horror-thriller movie that I didn't expect it to be. It was doing good, but going towards decline. The ending spoiled everything, I would say.

It gets me hung to the highest point of my anxiety, but it was ruined. Like, you're getting an orgasm, but then it just cut off. Something happened and all the thing inside your body, they are gone.

What troubles my mind is, this movie makes me crawls in my skin that everyone had a bad past and they should own up to it. They should admit that they are doing mistake, and everyone should be given a second chance. But, do we deserve second chance, when it cost a life?

Morality is very subjective to me. What appears to be good and nice to a person, doesn't mean it's good for another, too. It's just sometime, what we want to do and what we decide, doesn't go hand-in-hand with what we dreamt.

I will forgive this film's flaws because Diego Luna was hot and dreamy.

Comments

Sha Mohamed said…
Masa tengok sneak peak filem ini pun dah nampak macam menarik.. Kebetulan game ini tengah hangat sekarang ini.. Dimatikan kemudian dihidupkan semula.. Manusia dah makin gila..

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