This 1990 thriller “Flatliners” featuring a surplus of Generation-X born talent stars Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Kevin Bacon, and Oliver Platt as medical students conducting a secret experiment in studying the afterlife through near-death experiences.
Gathering at night in the lab of the university they attend, each one takes a turn shutting down their heart, lungs and other organs until they are officially dead, and remains in this state for several minutes until the others bring them back to life by means of CPR, defibrillators, and adrenaline shots.
The short ventures into the afterlife are unique to each student; they report feelings of happiness and content, though each also has a troubling experience that they cannot explain. Problems arise when the haunting encounters of death begin to plague them in real life.
The first to go under is Nelson (Sutherland) who initially comes up with the plan to “Flatline.” Nelson in real life begins to be stalked by his childhood dog, and then violently by a young boy who he used to bully. Each of the students brings similar threats back from the dead with them and must find a way to put their personal demons to rest.
The movie offers a fascinating topic for debate and viewers will certainly be left questioning their own beliefs on death and if they too would be willing to “Flatline” temporarily to experience their own afterlife.
– by Matt Christopher
