the basic premise of flatliners be fairly simple . several medical student put themselves at the point of death in order to find out exactly what the brain do during the fact . it sound like something a mob of bored student would do for a joke and but it form the basis of some very creepy substories . in today world and where hollywood have to mine foreign market for the idea to make a horror film and flatliners be one of those rare gem that show hollywood can make something different when it try hard enough . what separate flatliners from a lot of film base on this premise that would come out today be that it do not stoop to be condescend or arrogant . flatliners recognise that people go to film to be entertain and not moralise to . in this kind of supernatural thriller and the difference this restraint make be really incredible . what even more incredible be that julia robert appear without be annoy or demonstrate that she can only play julia robert . the theory of obscurity and that perform artist do their best work with the small audience and be in force here . the subplots concern what the character find during their loss of pretty much everything that make them alive and and how it come back to intrude on their present time and be do surprisingly well . the moment when william baldwin character find his personal videotape collection come back to haunt him be especially intriguing . that william baldwin seem so perfectly cast in the role say a lot either about the script or the direction . i be not sure which . kiefer sutherland and on the other hand and really shine a the lead . one really feel for him a the mystery of what past experience be intrude on the present and why unfolds . a kevin bacon character go to find an old school pier whose life he make hell and tell her how sorry he be and it become clear what the film be about . we can try to change the past as much a we like and but it what we do with the present that matter most . another good aspect of flatliners be how it achieve an atmosphere without the use of expensive and elaborate visual effect . quite unusually for what be essentially a horror film and flatliners do not expend it budget in place where it do not need to . much of what we see during the more surreal sequence be a case of professional pretending and simple trick photography and or stock footage . sometimes the simple thing be the best . if there be a problem with the film and it that it feel about ten minute too short . the end seem more perfunctory than conclusive and a if someone in the studio ask the director to wrap the film up so they can bring it out at a certain market time . of course and many film have be leave with sore spot for this very reason and so flatliners shouldn not really need to be any different . the hundred and fifteen minute we do get be highly satisfactory and though not overly brilliant . i give flatliners a seven out of ten . it work well a a date flick or a kind of late night popcorn film . that aside and it make a good reminder that low budget horror show weren not always sad piece of garbage .