The Lazarus Effect 2015

In a dimly lit laboratory, a somber scene unfolds as a deceased pig lies motionless on an operating table. A group of intrepid researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, frantically work to revive the lifeless creature with their innovative serum, codenamed “Lazarus”. The team, led by the tenacious Zoe McConnell (Olivia Wilde), injects the serum and activates the machine, only to be met with an unsettling silence. As the researchers exchange worried glances, one of them jestingly suggests devouring the pig, and in a bizarre turn of events, the pig’s lifeless body suddenly lets out a faint squeal before succumbing to death once more.

As the team struggles to comprehend the unexplained phenomenon, Zoe brings in student Eva (Sarah Bolger) to document their experiments and research. The young woman is introduced to Niko (Donald Glover), Clay (Evan Peters), and Frank Walton (Mark Duplass), Zoe’s fiancé and the mastermind behind the project. It becomes apparent that Niko harbors a secret admiration for Zoe, while Clay can’t help but objectify Eva.

Frank reveals that their serum was initially designed to preserve neural activity in comatose patients before evolving into a means of reanimating the dead. The team decides to test “Lazarus” on Rocky, a blind canine, and at first, it appears as though nothing has changed. However, Rocky suddenly springs back to life, barking and moving about with an air of confusion.

The researchers celebrate their breakthrough with a champagne toast, and Frank and Zoe welcome Rocky into their home. As the days pass, the dog’s cataracts disappear, but its newfound vitality is marred by aggressive behavior. The team discovers that the serum persists in Rocky’s brain, defying the expected rapid dissipation.

At night, Zoe is haunted by a vivid nightmare, wherein she finds herself trapped in a burning apartment building, surrounded by charred hands poking out from beneath a door. Frank comforts her as she awakens with a start. Meanwhile, Clay is left alone with Rocky, who begins to growl menacingly when Clay’s attention wanders. When the team returns, Clay shares his unsettling experience, but his colleagues seem skeptical of his claims.

The tension simmers just below the surface as the researchers struggle to comprehend the consequences of their groundbreaking discovery, and the darkness lurking beneath the surface of their experiment begins to seep into the cracks.

As Frank reluctantly steps into the dean’s office, he’s met with a stern rebuke for pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. The university’s top administrator is incensed that Frank and his team are attempting to usurp the role of God himself by conducting clandestine experiments. The gravity of their actions becomes apparent when it’s revealed that footage of these illicit tests has been leaked, showing the team administering the serum to animals. This betrayal of trust is compounded when a group of shareholders descends upon the lab, confiscating all equipment and research, citing a major pharmaceutical corporation’s buyout of the project’s funding source.

The team, now desperate to regain control of their work, seizes an opportunity to re-enter the lab under cover of darkness. Eva’s forgotten security pass grants them access, while Niko expertly hacks into the system to create a temporary distraction. With another deceased canine subject prepared and waiting, Zoe activates the experiment once more. However, this time it’s she who becomes the unwitting test subject, as a sudden jolt of electricity courses through her body.

Frank rushes to Zoe’s side, finding that she has ceased to respond. Niko produces an adrenaline needle, which Frank uses in a futile attempt to revive her. Clay attempts to administer defibrillator shocks, but it soon becomes apparent that Zoe is beyond saving. The team is left stunned and grief-stricken as they gaze upon the lifeless form of their colleague.

Despite his friends’ protests, Frank finds himself unable to let go of the hope that Zoe’s death might not be permanent. He decides to take a drastic measure, injecting her with the serum in defiance of the risks and consequences. As they wait for the security guard to depart, the team is met with an unsettling sight: Zoe sits up on the table, seemingly revitalized.

As Frank approaches her, he’s struck by the eerie silence that surrounds them. It’s as if time itself has slowed, allowing him to focus on the subtlest details. Suddenly, Zoe grasps his wrist, her eyes locking onto his with a hint of confusion. “Did I just… die?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. And then, in an unsettling twist, it becomes clear that Zoe’s rebirth has granted her an unsettling gift: the ability to hear the thoughts of those around her.

As Zoe settles back into her domestic routine, a sense of unease settles over her like a shroud. Her fingertips, once a normal shade, now bear an unsettling darkness, while the injection site where Frank had administered the mysterious serum earlier exhibits a similar discoloration. Fearing something is amiss, she confides in Frank about her growing concerns, telling him she’s been experiencing vivid, disturbing visions of being trapped in a burning building, with no way to escape. Though he dismisses it as just another bad dream, Zoe remains troubled by the recurring nightmare.

Later, as the team returns to their laboratory lair, Zoe is left alone with Eva while the others step out. The quiet atmosphere allows Eva to slip away and find herself transported back to that same, infernal apartment building. As she navigates the treacherous hallway, a small girl appears before her, clutching something in her hand. The child vanishes as suddenly as she appeared, leaving Eva face-to-face with the grasping, burning hands of the victims trapped inside. Just as it seems all hope is lost, a burning hand closes around her wrist, and Eva awakens with a start, screaming as her teammates rush to her side.

The sight of a visible burn mark on her wrist serves only to heighten the sense of unease within the group. Frank reveals that Zoe’s childhood trauma was rooted in a harrowing experience in which she became trapped in a burning building, forced to watch helplessly as her neighbors vainly tried to escape through the flames. Eva suggests that Zoe may have seen something during her own passing, and that perhaps her spirit is stuck, reliving that fateful day.

Meanwhile, Niko works alone at his computer, lost in thought when Zoe suddenly appears beside him. Her words are laced with desperation as she begs him to help unravel the mystery surrounding her strange affliction, attempting to manipulate him into compliance with a kiss. However, Niko remains resolute, refusing to yield to her charms. The lights flicker and die, leaving Niko alone in the darkness.

As the security cameras capture his plight, Zoe reappears, her eyes burning with an otherworldly intensity. She telekinetically crushes the closet where Niko lies helpless, ending his life in an instant. Frank, Eva, and Clay return to find their comrade’s lifeless body, only to be met with silence when they demand to know what has transpired.

Clay attempts to raise an alarm, but the power outage claims all electronic devices, including the emergency lines. His cries for help go unanswered as Zoe remains serene, refusing to reveal Niko’s fate. Clay’s frustration boils over, and he begs Zoe to tell them where his friend is, only to find himself choking on his own e-cigarette thanks to her telekinetic powers.

As Frank and Eva rush to their comrade’s aid, they realize too late that the damage has been done. The once-vibrant Clay lies motionless, a victim of Zoe’s growing malevolence. With her team in disarray, Zoe vanishes into thin air, leaving behind only the faintest hint of her dark presence.

As the stark reality sets in, Frank and Eva embark on a desperate attempt to subdue Zoe using a syringe, determined to reclaim the essence of the person they once knew. Their quest leads them to a dimly lit hallway where they find Zoe, now a sobbing mess, her anguish palpable. Frank approaches her with words of comfort, imploring the Zoe he still loves to resurface. However, his attempt falls flat as she reads his thoughts and becomes enraged by his doubts about her identity. In a swift and brutal motion, she crushes Frank’s neck, leaving him lifeless.

Eva flees in horror, unable to bear witness to the carnage. Meanwhile, Zoe seizes the remaining serum and injects herself with its entirety, surrendering fully to the darkness that has consumed her. The lights continue their erratic dance, plunging Eva into a world of chaos as she’s once again thrust into the inferno.

This time, however, it’s not just flames that await her – but a twisted doppelganger in the guise of a young girl, eerily reminiscent of Zoe herself. The little girl hands Eva a book of matches, revealing her role in igniting the blaze. With compassion and understanding, Eva tries to reassure the child that she’s not responsible for the chaos unfolding around them.

But before they can make amends, Evil Zoe emerges from the shadows, her skin smoldering and eyes reduced to blackened pits. The little girl, sensing danger, attempts to open the neighboring door, unwittingly allowing Evil Zoe a clear path of approach. Just as all hope seems lost, a blinding white light erupts, bathing the scene in an otherworldly glow.

In the aftermath, Eva finds herself face-to-face with Zoe once more – this time armed with a syringe. With a mixture of trepidation and resignation, Eva delivers the injection, and Zoe’s form begins to sag, her apologies tumbling forth as she succumbs to the effects. As sirens pierce the air, a fireman rushes into the scene, responding to the distress call.

Eva collapses into his arms, seeking solace in his comforting presence. But it’s not long before she realizes that Zoe has vanished, leaving behind only an eerie silence. Her gaze shifts to the fireman, whose face gradually morphs into a grotesque parody of her former friend. With a chilling calm, Zoe delivers a crushing blow, snapping Eva’s neck with cold calculation.

Meanwhile, in a separate realm, Zoe orchestrates a macabre tableau, positioning the lifeless bodies of Clay, Niko, and Eva side by side. As she injects Frank’s lifeless form with the serum extracted from her own body, a spark of animation rekindles within him – and he awakens to the cruel reality that he has become a mere puppet under Zoe’s merciless control.