Flatliners, 1990. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 34.

Yesterday was Halloween, and what better way to celebrate my fascination with the dearly departed, horror and the things that go bump in the night?  Obviously, Some of my favourite horror movies have a science-fiction element to them, and Flatliners is no exception to that rule. I have watched this film before, more than likely on VHS, and most definitely too young to be watching it. However, it felt like it was an important movie. The story-line fascinated me, while also reaching into my soul and exposing my fears.

For a long time, that was the end of that. I had no idea who directed it, wrote it or understood why someone would want to explore such an idea in the first place. In other words, Flatliners scared the life out of me, and for some reason, I never wanted to look back until now. It’s interesting how specific moments can be perceived at an early age. I was aware of some of the actors in the film, but it also felt forbidden, like I should not be witnessing such events. The memories are vague, the darkness still strong, and the sense of evil has not left my psyche to this day. There is a strong chance that these emotions and images have only been created by my imagination. Childhood fears can manifest quickly, but would this film feel less dramatic as an adult over thirty years later? I guess there is only one way to find out.

If I had only known Flatliners had been directed by the same person who made The Lost Boys, I might have received it differently. However, a film like 8mm makes some sense to me in this instance. Welcome to the varied and colourful career of Joel Schumacher. A man whose movies look as diverse and controversial as his personal life. You can say whatever you like about his Batman movies, but it’s obvious that they are the vision of one man. Those movies stole all the headlines, caused a bit of a storm and felt colossal at that specific moment in pop culture. Looking back at his filmography, I can’t help but wonder if the disappointment of Batman and Robin helped him somehow. Give him a second chance to make the movies he wanted, away from the scrutiny of the public eye. His films aren’t independent, but I feel that creative freedom always comes first to him. Why else are we attracted to our favourite artists? Still, in 1990, his talent was on the rise. Dying Young, Falling Down, and The Client carrying him to the top.

I will be honest right from the start and day that Flatliners is not the movie I remember. The story is a lot milder than I expected. However, just because it isn’t the film I remembered, doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun revisiting it. The premise is simple. Five medical students, led by Nelson Wright Kiefer Sutherland conduct a secret experiment in which the students undergo personal near-death experiences. Joel Schumacher was renowned for his great casting choices and Flatliners keeps up that tradition. Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts, Rachel Manus, Hollow Man, Kevin Bacon, David Labraccio, along with Sutherland are the holy trinity of this tale, with William Baldwin, Joe Hurley, and Oliver Platt, Randy Steckle solidifying the story.

The film I thought I remembered was far more evil. I somehow believed the students had come across some dark entity who was not willing to let them go, killing them all, one by one. No one dies in this movie, and some of the storylines are diminished by moments that could be easily resolved with common sense, but maybe that is the point. Nelson Wright portrays himself as a man of science who pushes the boundaries of technology and places himself in history books. However, for most of the film, he is haunted by Billy Mahoney, a child he bullied in the past. Thankfully, this storyline does carry some weight, and I can understand how such a tragedy could manifest into something that feels inextricable. He speaks of fame, but resolution is what he needs. As the story continues, Nelson’s hallucinations become physical, almost pushing him to suicide. It wasn’t just bullying, as we begin to learn that Billy Mahoney lost his life.  Accident or not, I cannot begin to understand the implications of such an ordeal or how you could come to terms with it.

However, Rachel, David, and Joe’s visions and hallucinations are problems we face in everyday life. Okay, Rachel and Joe’s storylines are highly exaggerated, but I know I have lost people close to me whom I wish I could have done more for. However, we could never know if those changes would make a difference. And fundamentally, it can never happen. Rachel cannot come to terms with the death of her father, an ex-soldier who took his own life when she was a child. I know the story needs a dilemma, but in reality, there would have been nothing more she could have done. Time would have taught her that.

Joe, on the other hand, could do something. And this is where the visions and hallucinations felt underwhelming for me as a viewer. Joe is a womaniser who secretly tapes himself and his lovers, and simply getting caught out becomes his saviour. However, there may be a theme that brings these four characters together and does have a redeeming conclusion to a story that sometimes feels a little redundant. David’s story was the most frustrating for me. His visions and hallucinations involve a young girl called Winnie Hicks, a girl who he teased and bullied at school. It makes sense if that girl has died and was back to get her revenge. However, Winnie is still alive and happily married with a family. David visits her home and apologises for his actions as a child. However, this still bugged me somewhat. And, after giving it some thought, I slowly realised, it is all about guilt.

And in an instant, Flatliners is a story I can finally get behind. I believe there were no ghosts from the past and no supernatural forces at play. As each character flatlined, the guilt they never dealt with resurfaced in a way that science has no answers for. In Rachel, she was aware of the guilt. Nelson, on the other hand, tried to suppress his feelings altogether. Maybe Joe and David had no idea their guilt was affecting them so much. I can only assume there are a few different ways to look at each character, but the story makes more sense now. Guilt is not a good thing to carry around with. You need to deal with it and let it go.

Flatliners surprised me in a satisfying way. Yes, it isn’t the film I remember, but it is wonderfully crafted and well-executed. The science-fiction flavour of the film is the technological advance in medical technology and where it can take us. I’m not sure how much of the equipment used is accurate to real life, but it all looked pretty spectacular. The film looks beautiful, and Joel Schumacher knows how to make each frame unique. Jan de Bont also deserves some recognition as the movie’s cinematographer. James Newton Howard created a powerful gothic score that helps lift the film’s atmospheric settings. The cast was fantastic, giving a more nuanced performance as they move on to the next step in their careers. Flatliners represents a time when watching a movie was a luxury experience. It was an event and a tradition, and something I have begun to enjoy again with physical media. I couldn’t have asked for more. Now, I suppose I need to watch the 2017 film that came after it. Wish me luck, and thank you for visiting today.

Flatliners was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing in 1990, and it’s one of the two people nominated that will take me to my next destination. Charles L. Campbell has a filmography that has some great movies to choose from. However, I have recently had a deep dive into The Terminator franchise, and Arnold Schwarzenegger was such a unique star in the 80’s. Richard C. Franklin was the sound editor of a film I haven’t watched in a long time. The Running Man, 1987, was directed by Paul Micheal Glaser and is loosely based on a Stephen King novel under the same name and published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. I can’t wait to learn more.

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