The medical student Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland) invites Joe Hurley (William Baldwin),David Labraccio (Kevin Bacon),Rachel Mannus (Julia Roberts) and Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt),who are friends from his class, to participate in a near death experiment where he will die for one minute to see whether there is afterlife or not. After the successful result, Nelson tells that there is something afterlife and hides that he saw the boy Billy Mahoney that he used to bully with his friends. The next to try is Joe, who likes to secretly videotape women that he has sex. He stays dead for a longer time and has an erotic experience. Then the atheist David is the next to try the experiment for a longer time. He sees the black girl Winnie Hicks that he used to bully at school, and later he is haunted by her. David tries to convince Rachel Mannus to avoid the experiment but she is already dead when he arrives at the university. Soon Rachel is haunted by her deceased father that she believes died because of her. David learns that Nelson is haunted and injured by Billy Mahoney and discovers that they are haunted by their sins and atonement is the only way out. What will happen to them?

"Flatliners" is a suspenseful horror film directed by Joel Schumacher in 1990 with a great cast. The storyline of afterlife, sins and atonement is original and well-resolved. Unfortunately this great storyline was recently used in a totally unnecessary remake. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Linha Mortal" ("Mortal Line")

Five ambitious medical students run a dangerous experiment to try to glimpse at the afterlife. Rachel Mannus (Julia Roberts) is the sympathetic girl with a dark childhood trauma. David Labraccio (Kevin Bacon) is a renegade who has been suspended. He's a skeptic who doesn't believe in the afterlife. Joe Hurley (William Baldwin) is a womanizing douche. Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt) is the most cautious. Nelson (Kiefer Sutherland) is the leader Dr Frankenstein-type who finds something is going wrong with the experiment but doesn't tell the others.

These are some of the best young actors of the time. All five leads are wonderful. It's a little melodramatic but I like it here. There is some overacting especially Julia Roberts. It goes with the set overdesign. I love the art deco of the Museuem of Science & Industry exteriors. I love the artwork behind them when they're dissecting corpses. I love the ridiculously darkly lit hospital. It all has that surrealism.

On the other hand, it's not really a horror film as was advertised. Director Joel Schumacher can't find any scares even though they are many opportunities. That's not in his skill set. It's more a suspense thriller.

I confess I had never heard of Flatliners before today, so when I came across it by chance sitting there on the landing bookcase, I was like this looks interesting, and popped it into the video recorder. And you know what? I really liked it. It was a little slow to start with and the ending is rather inconclusive but it is entertaining, dark, deep and suitably chilling that is well made with a great concept and an excellent cast. Joel Schumacher does direct efficiently in one of his better films as director, or so I think anyway, and the script isn't bad at all. The film looks great too, not elaborate special effects like in Star Wars but simple but effective camera work and a beautiful use of oranges and blues. As I have said already, I loved the concept, it was like a Gothic mix of old dark house and hi-tech laboratory as ambitious medical students try to find out is there life after death by inducing their own deaths. The afterlife sequences are quite chilling to say the least and there is an authentic atmosphere. The performances are excellent, Oliver Platt is a tad underused but he does a good job. Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon and Julia Roberts are all very good and interact well together. Overall, I enjoyed Flatliners, I feared it wouldn't be my thing, but I ended up liking it. See the difference when you give something you think you are not going to like a chance and find you like it? 8/10 Bethany Cox