In her review for "The New York Times", Caryn James wrote, "when taken on its own stylish terms, "Flatliners" is greatly entertaining. Viewers are likely to go along with this film instantly or else ridicule it to death. Its atmospheric approach doesn't admit much middle ground." Critic Roger Ebert praised the film as "an original, intelligent thriller, well-directed by Joel Schumacher" and called the cast "talented young actors, inhabit the shadows with the right mixture of intensity, fear and cockiness". But Ebert criticized "Flatliners" for "plot manipulation that is unworthy of the brilliance of its theme. I only wish it had been restructured so we didn't need to go through the same crisis so many times." Similarly, Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" magazine praised the film's young stars, but complained that "by dodging the questions it raises about life after death, "Flatliners" ends up tripping on timidity. It's a movie about daring that dares nothing."