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Flatliners

Flatliners

You haven't lived until you've died.

2017109 minPG-13Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Director
Niels Arden Oplev
Starring
Elliot Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton

Five medical students, hoping to understand the mystery of what lies beyond life, embark on a dangerous experiment. When their hearts are stopped for a short period of time, they have a near-death experience…

Where to watch

Where can I watch Flatliners?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Flatliners streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Flatliners?

Flatliners earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Flatliners worth watching?

Flatliners' Midcredits score is the 13th percentile of all films, from 127K ratings across 6 sources. 24% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

13th percentile

Better received than 13% of films

9th percentile among Drama14th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)16th
Approval (how many liked it)14th

50 /100

16th percentile of all films

12th percentile among Drama19th percentile among 2010s

Critics 27 · Audience 51

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

24% liked it

14th percentile of all films

9th percentile among Drama14th percentile among 2010s
24% rated it 7–1076% rated it 1–6

Critics 4% · Audience 31%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 4 noms overall

96th percentile

127K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Drama96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 4% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$19M
Opening weekend$6.6M
Domestic gross$17M
Worldwide gross$45M

Returned 2.4× its budget — 94th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a technically polished but narratively underwhelming rehash of the 1990 original, with an unnecessary cameo from Kiefer Sutherland.

Fans praised

  • intriguing premise and unique afterlife concept
  • strong cast chemistry, especially Nina Dobrev and Ellen Page
  • effective visual and sound design during flatline sequences

Detractors panned

  • weak, unexpressive performances from the leads
  • derivative and uninspired retread of the original
  • contrived, silly script that fails to build tension or scares

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive65

modern CGI enhances the afterlife scenes, but some call them mediocre

AtmosphereDivisive60

visuals and music create a mesmerizing otherworld, but scares fail

ActingDivisive45

cast is charismatic but overshadowed by original's performances

CharactersDivisive45

underwritten roles; fans find them relatable, detractors find them forgettable

Plot and storyDivisive40

retreads the original's afterlife experiment with little new

TensionDivisive40

fails to generate genuine scares or suspense

DialogueDivisive35

corny and insipid screenplay weighs down the film

Originality30

unoriginal retread, offers nothing new to the afterlife subgenre

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Flatliners like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be scared.

It leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film takes its premise of near-death experiences and moral reckoning seriously, playing the horror and guilt straight without ironic distance.
The rideThe film builds unease throughout, with the emotional and horror climax occurring as characters confront their guilt and face loss.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from the first experiment through the escalating consequences.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a bittersweet mix of loss and redemption, with the students finding peace but at a cost.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1% (this title)
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Inner demon: The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeMedical students who flatline to experience the afterlife find themselves haunted by their own past sins, which they must confront to survive.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGuiltMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Guilt · 3% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Friendship · 9% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on each character's buried guilt surfacing as supernatural torment, and their need to make amends.
StanceThe film questions whether guilt can be escaped and whether confession brings peace, without offering a simple answer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Nathan Barr
Settinga medical school and hospital campus
MusicThe score underscores the tension and emotional beats without being intrusive.

Content guide

Is Flatliners okay for kids?

PG-13

Flatliners is listed as PG-13, but the MPAA's rating reason reads “Rated PG - 13 for violence and terror, sexual content, language, thematic material, and some drug references”. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (55/100), sexual content at moderate (51/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at intense (74/100). Overall it is heavier than 88% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 25 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Denmark15
  • Hungary16
  • ID17+
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • Netherlands16
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/14
  • RO18
  • Russia16+
  • SK15
  • South Africa16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • TH15
  • UA16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 56% of all filmsHeavier than 88% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 60%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 91%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 41%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 78%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 93%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Flatliners have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Flatliners?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Elliot Page
as Courtney
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Diego Luna
as Ray
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Nina Dobrev
as Marlo
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
James Norton
as Jamie
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Kiersey Clemons
as Sophia
Beau Mirchoff
as Brad Mauser
Wendy Raquel Robinson
as Sophia's Mother
Kiefer Sutherland
as Dr. Barry Wolfson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Madison Brydges
as Tessa
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jacob Soley
as Alex
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Flatliners?

Movies like Flatliners include Flatliners (1990), The Craft (1996) and White Noise 2: The Light (2007). Of the 10 closest matches, most are supernatural dramas, and several are films about medicine.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Peter Filardi wrote 3 of these 10. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Flatliners?

2.2K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: supernatural drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.