Science fiction and horror fall hand in hand. Where the devil used to be synonymous with the horror genre, much like religion, has been replaced with a greater evil, that of mans urge to be God. Films such as Splice, Ex-Machina and the little known classic, Frankenstein explore the effects of meddling with the unknown and as science evolves, as does the genre.

 

Where the thought of reanimating the dead would suffice for a cinema goer, the overflow of zombies and AI have tired and now we find ourselves with ‘The Lazarus Effect’, where mans greatest achievement may be the unlocking of the full potential of mankind, the potential to be a God.

 

A group of medical students look to the idea of returning the dead back to life and as their experiments begin to show signs of success, the shocking results prove that some things are better left alone as Wilde’s character becomes the subject.

 

The ensemble cast of Mark Duplass (Creep), Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Olivia Wilde (Her, Deadfall) alongside rising stars Donald Glover and Sarah Bolger are a star cast and show the Fant4stic Four stars how a collective should be done. In comparison, ‘The Lazarus Effect’ is more faithful to the franchise with a bridging relationship between Wilde and Duplass with Peters chilled out ethos matched by Glovers sensibilities and makes for a far more exciting romp in the battle for 2015’s science fiction feature.

 

But this is not just all about needles and monitor watching as their experiments unleash the full capacity of the human mind in a film that plays ‘Pet Sematary’ via ‘Lucy’ in a fast paced chiller that doesn’t beat around the bush in getting to the point. As Wilde becomes more abstract from the experiment, her evolution occurs thick and fast leaving a path of death and destruction in her wake as all humanity is lost through her transition.

 

Often this would serve as a compliment to a film but one of this nature needs more, more character development, more tension, more evolution. At a mere 83 minute running time, the film’s short running time leaves us wanting that bit more to complete the journey that as with every other genre film, is open for a sequel, but as a singular entry feels a little barren teasing the potential that director David Gelb is able to showcase.

 

There’s no denying that the film delivers as one of this years top entries for the genre but it’s a piece of the puzzle that begs for more which hopefully can be delivered with a much needed sequel.

 

‘The Lazarus Effect’ gives birth to a new kind kind of evil that the genre needs and while the concept may not be original in other genres, it is a welcome entry for the horror community and works well. Hand in hand with some impressive visuals (evidently inspired by another classic in 'The Shining'), this is certainly a worthy addition to any horror fanatics collection.