Review by Jonathan Godfrey for Mr. Will Wong
Jason Blum is the Founder and CEO of Blumhouse Productions. A House that Paranormal Activity helped solidify and expand upon; a house built with the bricks of low-budget-high-return Horror Movies. Titles like Sinister, Insidious, and The Purge come to mind. Creative endeavours that terrified Viewers and rewarded their cCreators with Fans and fortunes.
The Lazarus Effect is the latest addition in this illustrious Line. It stars Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Donald Glover and Evan Peters as a team of bleeding-edge Biochemists. Eager to help humanity they create a formula to prolong life in critical moments. This charitable effort quickly turns to resurrecting the dead… which is rarely a good idea.
Zoe (Wilde) acts as our metaphorical Dracula. In other words, she returns from the dead with devilish powers. Her wrath is unfortunate… for both the Victims and the Audience. Ultimately because it fails to scare.
Dated stereotypes and unimaginative deaths provide many disappointing moments, but it is the lead Character that is the most upsetting. Olivia Wilde, who by all means is talented, is given little to work with. Yes, her Character Zoe comes with a charming Plot twist, but she isn’t equipped with the tools needed to be terrifying. And terrified we want to be.
Be that as it may, the Cast is capable even when the Script is lacking, and when the visuals go demonic, they are a joy to the eye. The Film unfolds in a way that makes sense, and leaves you with unanswered questions which some may be eager to solve. Perhaps this will merit the Movie a Sequel, but it still doesn’t fix the Movie of the moment. The Lazarus Effect appears too easily forgettable beside other recent Horror releases. Especially those within the contemporary Dynasty that developed it.
It’s too bad really. It’s hard not to enjoy a Wilde Movie – she is a captivating presence. Especially one wherein she plays the Villain… a Role we don’t often get to see her in. So if you love the Girl and you’re thirsty for blood, go sink your own teeth into The Lazarus Effect and see if it whets them well.
D Films release THE LAZARUS EFFECT on Friday, February 26, 2015.
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