‘Lizzie Lazarus’ Review: Conversations About the Dead
An attempt to resurrect Lizzie reveals secrets to the people closest to her.
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What is Lizzie Lazarus About?
Lizzie Lazarus might technically qualify as horror thanks to its subject matter, but the tone comes across as more of a dark drama.
Lizzie is dead. She died in a car crash three days ago. Tonight, Lizzie’s sister Bethany and her boyfriend Eli are carrying her dead body through a dark forest. They are on their way to a supposedly mystical spot in the woods where legend says that the dead can be brought back to life. Bethany and Eli have a long, tiring journey ahead of them, and as they walk, they talk. Feelings are expressed, secrets are revealed, and the true nature of Lizzie’s death and potential resurrection are made clear.
Lizzie Lazarus was written and directed by Aviv Rubinstien. Lianne O’Shea and Omar Maskati star as Bethany and Eli respectively, and Megan Oesterreich plays Lizzie.
Lizzie Lazarus Review
Lizzie Lazarus might be something different from what you’re expecting. It’s not really a horror movie for most of its run time. It’s definitely more of a dark drama, and as a dark drama it is quite interesting. A few effectively spooky moments happen throughout the film, but the story isn’t about the scares. It’s about taking a journey with two people connected by someone who neither of them knew as completely as they thought.
The vast majority of the drama in Lizzie Lazarus is delivered through the various conversations between Bethany and Eli. This is a very talky movie. Or rather, it is almost entirely a talky movie. That’s not meant as a negative though. The conversations are cleverly constructed and entertaining, and they are performed impressively by Lianne O’Shea and Omar Maskati. Both of the film’s lead actors are great, giving their characters just the right amount of mystery and sympathetic charm to keep viewers engaged in the story. The viewer’s allegiance to either character is likely to shift back and forth as new stories are told and motivations are revealed.
One thing about the dialogue that stands out is how stylized it feels. The conversations rarely feel realistic. At least, not realistic in a way that you might expect conversations would sound like between two people carrying a dead body in the woods during the middle of the night. Bethany and Eli both get oddly poetic as they reminisce about their lives and their feelings. Well-orchestrated callbacks are plentiful, metaphors are elaborate, and even quippy remarks are conspicuous by how perfectly timed they are. It all makes for interesting dialogue, but it’s not how most real people talk. Whether that’s good or bad will depend solely on the viewer.
Some people might hear the dialogue as being stilted. For me, it gave the whole movie the feeling of a one-act stage play. Although I knew I was watching and listening to something not quite real, I was drawn in by the performances and the flow of the language. It pays off to pay attention to every word in Lizzie Lazarus, because it all adds up by the time you get to the end. Some clues about the story’s mysteries are more obvious than others, but it all comes together well in the final moments.
As for the ending, I’m not sure how I feel about it. It all makes perfect sense and is done smartly, but after the journey to get there, it maybe didn’t have the emotional punch I was hoping for. The ending is a bit spooky and has some emotion, but with the film’s focus on character-driven drama and extremely dark subjects, it misses an opportunity to leave the viewer with a true gut-punch of an ending. Still, it has me thinking about it hours after the movie is over, so it did something right.
Lizzie Lazarus Rating and Recommendation
Star Rating: 3 out of 5
Fans of dark dramas and dialogue-heavy movies should definitely give Lizzie Lazarus a watch. Be aware that it does deal with some heavy topics surrounding death, but it handles them in a smart way.
Lizzie Lazarus is now streaming on Screambox, and it is available on TVOD platforms including Prime Video.
Further Reading
- Bloody Axe Wound Review: A Cute and Gory Coming-of-Age Slasher Comedy
- The Damned Review: A Cold Tale of Monstrous Guilt
- Stupid Games Review: An Engrossing Supernatural Chamber Piece
- Best Dark Dramas
- New/Upcoming Horror Movies
