“What if we could document what happens to us after we die?” That is, in a nutshell, the crux of Flatliners, Sony’s long-brewing horror sequel that extracts all of the unnerving science and existential musings of the 1990 cult classic and projects them onto the canvas for a new generation.
Coming by way of director Niels Arden Oplev, creative mind behind The Girl With The Tattoo – the Swedish version, that is, not the adaptation from Sony and David Fincher – Flatliners has pulled together a fairly impressive lineup of known stars (see: Ellen Page) and actors that are just now beginning to break into Hollywood’s big leagues, such as Diego Luna.
However that may be, and pardon the pun, but we imagine Flatliners will live or die depending on the strength of its script. Last we reported, the film’s debut trailer was riddled with bland, uninspired dialogue (“it’s like her brain’s been rewired!”), and that’s unfortunately still the case with today’s international promo. With little over two months to go until release, the otherworldly visual effects of Flatliners are finally beginning to come together, so at least there’s something from this latest snippet to generate a sense of morbid curiosity.
Also starring Nina Dobrev, James Norton, and Kiersey Clemons (The Flash), we understand that Sony has nailed down plans for Kiefer Sutherland’s Nelson Wright to make a small cameo role. His character anchored the original horror-thriller almost two decades ago, even coining the term “today is a good day to die,” though the extent of Sutherland’s role is yet to be revealed.
Here’s the official logline:
In Flatliners, five medical students, obsessed by the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring and dangerous experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods of time, each triggers a near-death experience – giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife. But as their experiments become increasingly dangerous, they are each haunted by the sins of their pasts, brought on by the paranormal consequences of trespassing to the other side.
Emerging from the shadow of New Line’s It, an adaptation that has been championed as one of the scariest films ever made, Flatliners will jolt to life on September 29th. Arden Oplev’s long-rumored continuation currently finds itself in the midst of a crowded Halloween season, what with Cult of Chucky, Leatherface, and Jigsaw all slated for a similar release window as well.