I would have loved to see more from the filmmakers, daring to fail while staking out some new terror incognita instead of just going through the motions of an experiment for which we already have the results.
David Gelb's new film is so dependent on the classic standbys of the genre, and so slight in every other regard, that it immediately draws attention to just how creaky they've gotten over the years
Thanks to Duplass's 'regular guy' appeal and Wilde's ability to play the girl-next-door with the same aplomb as possessed siren, The Lazarus Effect proves believable enough to be entertaining but a little too bland to leave much of a scar.
As far as cautionary tales go, The Lazarus Effect is pretty good stuff overall and effectively rises above its mild approach to deliver a thoughtful and intense horror experience that I had a lot of fun with despite all its flaws.