Flatliners (2017): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Flatliners is a 2017 sci-fi thriller directed by Niels Arden Oplev, starring Elliot Page as Courtney, Madison Brydges and Nina Dobrev. It runs 1 hour 49 minutes and earned $45.2 million worldwide on a $19 million budget. Critics gave it 4% on Rotten Tomatoes and 27 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.2/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 49m (109 min)
- Director
- Niels Arden Oplev
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Columbia Pictures
- Budget
- $19M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Flatliners About?
The premise of Flatliners without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Driven by a fascination with death, five medical students embark on a dangerous experiment. They take turns pushing their bodies to the brink of dying, recording their experiences and confronting the boundaries of life and death. However, as they repeatedly induce near-death states, they unknowingly awaken vengeful forces, and their suppressed secrets and guilt begin to manifest as terrifying visions and threatening consequences.
Flatliners Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- medical student
- near death experience
- medical experiment
- flashback
- remake
- resurrection
- hospital
- hallucination
- regret
- redemption
- guilt
- out of body experience
+38 more Show fewer
- haunted by the past
- car accident
- car crash
- afterlife
- one word title
- scene before opening credits
- prologue
- flash forward
- 2000s
- 2010s
- horror movie remake
- inside the mind
- loss of friend
- death of sister
- loss of sister
- subjective camera
- character's point of view camera shot
- medical science
- experiment gone wrong
- glass building
- high tech
- nurse
- friendship
- hearing voices
- fear
- danger
- paranoia
- panic
- surrealism
- dark past
- tragic past
- tragic event
- tragedy
- car falling off a bridge
- bridge
- bulldozer
- bullet time
- hedonism
Flatliners Cast & Characters
Elliot Page leads the cast as Courtney, with Madison Brydges as Tessa and Nina Dobrev as Marlo. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev; 16 actors are credited in all.
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Director Niels Arden Oplev
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Elliot Page as Courtney -
Madison Brydges as Tessa -
Nina Dobrev as Marlo -
Diego Luna as Ray
Also Starring in Flatliners
· 12 more- Kiersey Clemons Sophia
- Kiefer Sutherland Dr. Barry Wolfson
- James Norton Jamie
- Anna Arden Alicia
- Jacob Soley Alex
- Steve Byers Marlo's Brother
- Tyler Hynes
- Charlotte McKinney Girl on Bicycle
- Beau Mirchoff Brad Mauser
- Daniela Barbosa
- Ellie Patrikios
- Miguel Anthony Cyrus Gudgeon
More from Niels Arden Oplev
More films directed by Niels Arden Oplev, best-rated first: Rose, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Dead Man Down and Held for Ransom.
Flatliners Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Flatliners 4% on Rotten Tomatoes and 27 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.2/10. Our Echo Score gives it 30/100, strongest in art & craft (40) and weakest in rewatch factor (25).
Flatliners Echo Score Breakdown
Flatliners struggles to offer coherent engagement or originality, resulting in a largely unfulfilling experience. Most feedback points to a derivative narrative that fails to justify its remake status and delivers scant suspense. A handful of comments acknowledge competent direction and occasional visual interest, but these are overshadowed by pacing issues and tonal confusion. Ultimately, the film’s uneven execution and limited innovations leave it feeling forgettable and underwhelming.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 40
In terms of art and craft, the direction shows occasional technical competence and a few visually intriguing sequences. The cinematography features an understated color palette but lacks sustained stylistic cohesion. Production design and editing oscillate between moments of clarity and jarring cuts. While not entirely devoid of merit, the overall visual approach fails to elevate the material beyond basic competence.
- Character & Emotion 30
When it comes to character and emotion, the cast delivers measured performances but is hampered by underdeveloped roles. Acting proficiency is evident in isolated moments, yet the lack of depth prevents genuine emotional resonance. Chemistry among the ensemble is limited, and character arcs resolve too simply to leave a lasting impression. Overall, the portrayals feel constrained by a script that does not fully explore their potential.
- Story & Flow 25
In terms of story and flow, the plot relies heavily on familiar tropes without meaningful innovation. Pacing is uneven, with promising sci-fi concepts introduced but inadequately woven into the narrative. Engagement suffers as the film shifts ambiguously between genres, undermining suspense and coherence. Although there are brief glimpses of originality, these are too sporadic to counteract a largely derivative structure that leaves the viewer disengaged.
- Sensory Experience 30
From a sensory standpoint, occasional visual ideas provide fleeting intrigue, but the overall style lacks unity. Sound design leans on predictable jump scares rather than building sustained tension, and the musical score does not register as distinctive. While individual elements demonstrate technical know-how, they do not coalesce into a compelling audio-visual landscape. The sensory experience remains serviceable yet ultimately underwhelming.
- Rewatch Factor 25
Regarding rewatch factor, the film offers minimal incentive for repeat viewings. Initial interest may stem from the premise’s potential, but shortcomings in narrative and emotional depth diminish long-term appeal. Moments of competent direction do little to overcome the forgettable nature of most sequences. Consequently, Flatliners is unlikely to reward further engagement beyond a single viewing.
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IMDb 5.2 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 4% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 32%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 27 Metascore
User score 4.1
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 56% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 2.1 /5
31 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 3.0 /5
See on Movie Insider
Flatliners Plot Summary
What happens in Flatliners from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film introduces us to Courtney Holmes, portrayed by Elliot Page, as she embarks on a fateful journey with her younger sister, Tessa (played by Madison Brydges). In a tragic turn of events, Courtney gets distracted while driving and accidentally swerves off a bridge, resulting in Tessa’s drowning. This traumatic incident haunts Courtney for nine years, during which she evolves into a dedicated medical student.
Full summary
The whole story of Flatliners, scene by scene
Flatliners Box Office & Budget
Flatliners grossed $45.2 million worldwide on a $19 million budget, 2.4 times what it cost. $16.9 million came from the US and Canada and $28.3 million (63%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$45.2M
2.4× its budget
- US & Canada
- $16.9M
- International
- $28.3M
- Budget
- $19M
Flatliners Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 3 trailers.
- Trailer International Trailer #2
- Trailer Official Trailer 2
How Well Do You Know Flatliners?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What tragic event occurs in the beginning involving Courtney and her sister?
Cars in Flatliners
27 cars on screen, including the 2008 MINI Cooper Clubman and the Triumph Thruxton.
-
2008 MINI Cooper Clubman Main role -
Triumph Thruxton Important role -
2013 Chevrolet Spark Minor role -
2016 Nissan Sentra Minor role
Flatliners Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “Trải nghiệm điểm chết” and “ขอตายวูบเดียว”.
- Also known as
-
- Trải nghiệm điểm chết
- ขอตายวูบเดียว
- Në vijën e vdekjes
- الخط الفاصل
- Линия на смъртта
- 灵异空间
- 靈異空間
- 別闖陰陽界
- Tanka linija smrti
- Hráči se smrtí
- Lignes interdites
- L'Expérience interdite, კომაში
+22 more Show fewer
- Ταξιδιώτες στην άλλη ζωή
- קו הדממה
- Egyenesen át
- Flatliners - Linea mortale
- フラットライナーズ
- 플랫라이너
- Aiz dzīvības robežas
- Besivaikantys mirtį
- Тенката линија на смртта
- Linia życia
- Além da Morte
- Linha Mortal
- Linia morții
- Коматозники
- Танка линија смрти
- Hráči so smrťou
- Enganchados a la muerte
- Línea mortal: Al límite
- Çizgi Ötesi
- Flatliners (Reboot)
- Trải Nghiệm Điểm Chết, სიკვდილის ზღვარზე
- مرگ بازان
Seen Flatliners?
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Flatliners FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Flatliners, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Flatliners?
Flatliners runs 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes).
When was Flatliners released?
Flatliners was released on September 29, 2017.
Who directed Flatliners?
Flatliners was directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
More films by Niels Arden Oplev Who is in the cast of Flatliners?
Flatliners stars Elliot Page as Courtney, Madison Brydges as Tessa and Nina Dobrev as Marlo, among 16 credited actors.
How much did Flatliners make at the box office?
Flatliners grossed $45.2 million worldwide ($16.9 million domestic, $28.3 million international) on a budget of $19 million.
How is Flatliners rated?
Flatliners has 5.2/10 on IMDb, 4% on Rotten Tomatoes, 27 on Metacritic and 56% on TMDB.
Does Flatliners have a post-credit scene?
No. Flatliners has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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