10 Horror Movies That Abandoned Awesome Ideas Halfway Through
9. The Lazarus Effect
The Lazarus Effect possessed about as enticing a narrative concept as one could hope for. The central premise of David Gelb's 2018 offering is the titular "Lazarus" serum - a concoction capable of bringing the dead back to life.
Hollywood never can resist a good dose of superhuman abilities however, and that's exactly where the second act of The Lazarus Effect loses its way. Rather than explore the endless thrilling applications to real life that the film's central narrative device presents, the movie collapses in on itself by bestowing the tired "superhuman gone rogue" narrative on its leading lady. It's lazy, mindless writing - a truly disappointing spectacle in the context of what could just as easily have been a fascinating, nuanced story.
Furthermore, Gelb's effort never manages to make its mind up as to whether it is a horror rooted in religion or science-fiction - verging between mentions of Hell and superpowers at the drop of a hat - and accordingly, suffers badly in terms of quality. The actors and actresses featured within the movie appear unsure as to which camp to throw their hat into and meander along unconvincingly between the two as a result.
By the time the credits finally roll, the end result of The Lazarus Effect is a confused, nonsensical mess. Truly lamentable - and deeply frustrating - stuff.