The Lazarus Effect

In a science laboratory in Berkeley, CA, medical researcher Frank (Mark Duplass), his fiancée Zoe (Olivia Wilde), and their cohorts make a remarkable discovery: by injecting a psychedelic chemical called DMT into the part of the brain known as the amygdala, they can revive the dead. Dubbing it the Lazarus serum (referring to Jesus's biblical resurrection of Lazarus in the Gospel of John), the team—following a successful but unsanctioned experiment on a lifeless dog—decide to make their work public, even though the revitalized canine exhibits some bizarre behavior. Not surprisingly, when the authorities find out, the lab is closed. And in an attempt to recreate the experiment, Zoe is electrocuted—propelling grief-stricken Frank to test the process on her. While Zoe appears to be resuscitated, something vengeful and evil has appeared: zombie Zoe, who is is capable of telekinesis, telepathy, and has a disconcerting predilection of dilating her pupils. Riffing on the Frankenstein tale, director David Gelb's cliché-riddled film recycles science, religion, and horror, touching on various moral issues before dissolving into predictable violence. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Creating Fear” making-of featurette (15 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a “Playing God: The Moral Dilemma” story segment (8 min.), deleted and extended scenes (5 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an unremarkable horror flick.] (S. Granger)